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GRACE  Or  GOD  KIBTOE  OF  SCOTXiANX>E«  RJ&.fea'l. 


JAMES  VI. 

(From  the  print  engraved  by  John  Pinker  ton  in  "  The  Scotish 
Gallery"  J799.) 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS 


L0WE8  LIBRAKYn,dlUttv 


SCOTLAND 

FROM  THE  EARLIEST  TIMES  TO  THE 
PRESENT  CENTURY 


BY 

JOHN  MACKINTOSH,  LL.D. 

AUTHOR  OF  U  THE  HISTORY  OF  CIVILISATION  IN  SCOTLAND,"  "  THE 
HIGHLAND  LAND  QUESTION   HISTORICALLY  CONSIDERED," 
"THE  REVOLUTION  OF  1688  AND  VISCOUNT 
DUNDEE,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


NEW  YORK 
O.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

LONDON :  T.  FISHER  UNWIN 
1 90 1 


Copyright  1890 

BY 

G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 

Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  Londov:- 

By  T.  Fisher  Unwin 


PREFACE. 


The  Story  of  Scotland  presents  two  classes  of  facts 
and  incidents  of  varied  and  absorbing  interest.  First, 
the  conflict  of  the  chief  tribes  with  each  other ;  the 
foundation  of  the  Monarchy  ;  the  gradual  extension 
of  the  kingdom  from  its  centre  outward  ;  and  the 
development  of  a  distinct  and  intense  nationality. 
Second,  the  struggles  arising  from  the  invasions  and 
attacks  of  external  enemies,  which  were  commenced 
by  the  Romans,  followed  by  the  Danes  and  Norwe- 
gians ;  and,  finally,  the  long  and  unequal  struggle  with 
England.  In  all  these  conflicts  for  liberty  and  inde- 
pendence, the  Scots  made  a  heroic  and  memorable 
defence.  Although  often  cruelly  oppressed  and 
driven  to  the  greatest  extremities  of  suffering  and 
privation,  at  times  almost  conquered ;  still  in  the  face 
of  all  obstacles  and  against  fearful  odds  they  continued 
to  resist  and  ultimately  triumphed. 

The  subsequent  internal  struggles  were  political 
and  religious.  Owing  to  a  series  of  events  and  cir- 
cumstances the  Scotch  nobles  for  two  centuries  and  a 
half  were  able  to  control  the  Crown  and  the  Executive 


viii 


PREFACE. 


solely  in  their  own  interest.  The  religious  contests 
connected  with  the  Reformation,  the  conflict  of  the 
reformed  clergy  with  the  Crown  ;  the  Covenanting 
struggle  with  its  many  stirring  incidents — the  Per- 
secution, the  Revolution,  and  the  Disruption — which 
all  present  many  features  of  surpassing  interest. 

After  the  Union,  and  the  Risings  of  171 5  and 
1745,  the  progress  and  the  development  of  the  nation 
in  almost  every  department  of  human  activity  have 
been  marvellous.  The  limits  of  this  volume  only  per- 
mitted a  brief  reference  to  some  of  the  many 
important  subjects  of  the  latest  period  ;  but  it  is 
hoped  that  what  has  been  presented  will  prove 
interesting. 

J.  M. 

Aberdeen, 
June%  1890. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface  •      •      •  vii 

I. 

Early  History  i-ii 

Reference  to  the  Legends  of  the  Nation,  I — Result  of  recent 
Research,  2 — Arrival  of  the  Celts  ;  their  stage  of  Culture,  3 — 
Roman  Invasion  ;  resistance  of  the  Natives,  3 — Battle  of  Mons 
Grampius,  4 — Extent  and  result  of  the  Roman  occupation,  7 
—The  Chief  Tribes  ;  Britons  of  Strathclyde,  8— ThePicts  ;  the 
Irish  Scots  ;  arrival  of  the  Saxons  ;  Battle  of  Dunnichin,  9— 
Conflicts  of  the  various  tribes  ;  original  centre  of  the  historic 
kingdom,  10 — Foundation  of  the  Monarchy  and  its  extent,  11. 

II. 

Introduction  of  Christianity        .      .       .  12-19 

Influence  of  the  new  Religion  on  the  People ;  missionary 
efforts  of  St.  Ninian,  and  St.  Kentigern,  their  miracles,  12 — 
St.  Columba  ;  early  life,  15 — His  missionary  labours  among 
the  Northern  Tribes,  16 — Encounter  with  evil  spirits,  17 — His 
Institution  of  Iona,  17 — Influence  of  the  Early  Saints  on  the 
subsequent  religious  feelings  of  the  Nation,  19. 


X 


CONTENTS. 


III. 

State   of  the  Country   to  the   end  of  the 

Eleventh  Century    .       .       .  20-25 

The  kingdom  attacked  by  external  enemies ;  Danes  and 
Norwegians  ;  long  struggle  with  them,  20 — Gradual  extension 
of  the  kingdom  outward  ;  Edinburgh  taken,  21 — Battle  of 
Carham  and  Cession  of  the  Lothians  to  Malcolm  II.,  22 — A 
contest  for  the  Throne ;  Macbeth  slew  Duncan  and  mounted 
the  Throne  ;  death  of  Macbeth,  23 — Reign  of  Malcolm  III., 
23 — Contest  for  the  Crown  ;  Edgar  placed  on  the  Throne ; 
Celts  and  Saxons,  24 — Reference  to  early  Celtic  Art,  25. 

IV. 

The  Nation  in  the  Twelfth  and  Thirteenth 
Centuries   26-43 

Influx  of  Norman  and  Saxon  Nobles  ;  Alexander  I.  and 
Earl  David,  26 — Relation  of  the  Church  and  the  Crown,  27 — 
Reign  of  David  I.  ;  risings  in  Moray  and  the  North,  28 
— David  I.  aspired  to  the  Throne  of  England ;  battle  of 
the  Standard,  29 — Policy  of  David  I.  ;  reorganisation  of  the 
Church,  30 — Education  and  Literature  of  the  period ;  charters  ; 
introduction  of  Legal  Feudalism;  its  effects,  31 — Boroughs 
and  Royal  Charters  ;  Court  of  the  Boroughs  ;  Code  of  Laws, 
33 — Malcolm  IV.  ;  Local  Risings,  34  — William  the  Lion 
captured  by  the  English  ;  sold  the  Independence  of  the  King- 
dom, 35 — Internal  Conflicts  ;  progress  of  Feudalism,  36 — 
Alexander  II.  and  King  John  ;  adjustment  of  the  Line  of  the 
Marches ;  Internal  Risings,  37  —  Alexander  III.  ;  cha- 
racteristics of  the  Policy  of  the  leading  Nobles,  37 — Haco's 
Invasion  ;  its  Failure,  39 — Cession  of  the  Western  Islands  to 
Scotland  ;  settlement  of  the  Succession  ;  death  of  Alexander 
III.  ;  project  of  Edward  I.  ;  death  of  the  Maid  of  Norway,  41. 

V. 

Disputed  Succession  :   War  of  Independence — 
Wallace  and  Bruce  .....  44-73 

Edward  I.  determined  to  settle  the  fate  of  Scotland  ;  the 
Scotch  Nobles,  Clergy,  and  Claimants  for  the  Crown  rccog- 


CONTENTS. 


x! 


nised  Edward's  claim  of  Feudal  superiority  ;  and  he  followed 
it  up,  44—  The  issue  lay  between  Bruce  and  Baliol ;  Edward 
decided  in  favour  of  Baliol,  47 — Baliol  crowned  ;  placed  in  a 
humiliating  position,  48 — Alliance  between  France  and  Scot- 
land ;  commencement  of  the  War  of  Independence,  49 — 
Edward's  massacre  of  the  Citizens  of  Berwick  ;  his  march 
through  Scotland  ;  Baliol  deposed,  and  the  Coronation  Stone 
removed  to  London,  50 — The  Nobles  deserted  the  People  ; 
Feeling  of  the  Nation,  51 — Wallace  appeared;  organised  an 
Army ;  took  the  Castles  ;  Battle  of  Stirling  Bridge,  52 — Wal- 
lace appointed  Guardian  ;  difficulties  of  his  position  ;  Edward 
I.  again  invaded  Scotland ;  tactics  of  Wallace ;  Battle  of 
Falkirk;  Defeat  and  Resignation  of  Wallace,  55 — Continua- 
tion of  the  WTar  ;  surrender  of  the  Government,  56 — Capture, 
Trial,  and  Execution  of  Wallace  ;  his  Influence  on  the  Nation, 
59 — Bruce  and  Bishop  Lamberton,  60 — Bruce's  tragic  meeting 
with  Comyn,  60 — Bruce  mounted  the  Throne  of  Scotland ; 
Edward  I.  proclaimed  severe  measures  against  him  ;  Bruce's 
small  party  defeated,  and  his  followers  captured  and  executed, 
62 — Bruce  reduced  to  great  extremities  ;  but  the  tide  turned, 
and  step  by  step  he  retook  the  kingdom,  63 — Battle  of  Ban- 
nockburn,  66 — Attempts  to  make  Peace  ;  Bruce  Excommuni- 
cated ;  an  Address  to  the  Pope,  70 — Raid  into  England  ; 
Treaty  of  Northampton ;  the  Independence  of  Scotland 
acknowledged,  72 — Death  and  Character  of  Bruce,  73. 

VI. 

State  of  the  Nation  to  the  Death  of  James  I.  74-88 

Accession  of  David  II. ;  Edward  Baliol  claimed  the  Throne  ; 
English  Invasions,  74 — Battle  of  Durham  ;  Capture  of  the 
King  of  Scots ;  his  Ransom ;  Character  of  the  King,  76 — 
Robert  II. ;  arrival  of  French  Troops ;  a  Raid  into  England, 

77—  Robert  III. ;  the  Earl  of  Fife ;  the  Wolf  of  Badenoch, 

78 —  State  of  the  kingdom ;  a  Plot  against  the  Duke  of 
Rothesay ;  imprisoned  and  murdered,  79 — Capture  of  Prince 
James  by  the  English  ;  the  Duke  of  Albany  continued  to  rule ; 
his  death ;  regency  of  his  Son,  82 — Return  of  James  I. 
Reign  of  James  I,  ;  the  Duke  of  Albany  and  a  number  of 
Nobles  seized  and  imprisoned  ;  Trial  and  Execution  of  Albany, 
his  sons,  and  the  Earl  of  Lennox,  83 — Parliament  at  Inver- 
ness ;  seizure  and  Execution  of  Highland  Chiefs,  85 — Policy 


iCli  CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

and  Legislation  of  James  L,  85 — His  Encroachments  upon 
the  Nobles  ;  they  formed  a  plot  against  him,  86 — Murder  of 
the  King,  88. 

VII. 

Conflicts    between    the     Crown    and  the 

Nobles   89-104 

Struggle  amongst  the  Nobles  in  the  minority  of  James  II. ; 
Execution  of  the  young  Earl  of  Douglas  and  his  brother,  89 
— Contest  between  the  Crown  and  the  head  of  the  Douglas 
Family  ;  Murder  of  the  Earl  of  Douglas,  92 — Civil  War ; 
the  Battle  of  Brechin  ;  the  King  hard  pressed  ;  the  new  Earl  of 
Douglas  defeated,  93 — Minority  of  James  III.  ;  faction  of  the 
Boyds,  94—  Marriage  of  the  King ;  Fall  of  the  Boyds,  95 — 
The  Nobles  seized  and  executed  the  King's  servants,  and  then 
imprisoned  him,  98 — Rebellion  of  the  Southern  Nobles  ; 
Battle  of  Sanchie  Burn;  Death  of  James  III.,  99 — James 

IV.  ;  Foreign  Relations  of  Scotland  ;  Marriage  of  the  King, 
100— War  with  England  ;  Battle  of  Flodden,  102 — Reference 
to  the  Literature  of  the  Nation  ;  Barbour's  Bruce ;  Winton's 
Original  Chronicle  ;  Henry's  Life  of  Sir  W.  Wallace ;  James 
I.  a  poet ;  Robert  Henryson,  102 — Institution  of  Scotch 
Universities,  104. 

VIII. 

Progress    of    the    Reformation    in  Scotland 
to  the  Death  of  Cardinal  Beaton     .  105-122 

The  Era  of  Modern  History ;  Coronation  of  the  Infant  King ; 
his  Mother  named  Regent,  but  she  failed ;  the  Duke  of 
Albany  assumed  the  Government ;  tried  to  curb  the  Nobles, 
but  this  was  hopeless  ;  he  threw  it  up  and  returned  to  France, 

105 —  The  Earl  of  Angus  seized  the  young  King  and  ruled 
himself ;  at  last  the  King  escaped  and  Angus  fled  to  England, 

106 —  Policy  of  James  V.  toward  the  Nobles ;  Causes  of  the 
Reformation,  107 — Introduction  of  Heretical  Books  ;  Martyr- 
dom of  Patrick  Hamilton  ;  Friar  Airth's  Sermon,  108 — James 

V.  remained  faithful  to  Catholicism,  and  pursued  his  policy  of 
curbing  the  Nobles,  no — War  with  England;  the  Scotch 
Nobles  decline  to  follow  their  King ;  Disaster  of  Solway 
Moss;  Death  of  James  V.,  112 — The  Infant  Queen  Mary,  113 


CONTENTS. 


xiii 


PAGE 

— Scheme  of  Henry  VIII.  defeated,  115 — War  proclaimed 
against  the  Scots  ;  Wanton  destruction  of  life  and  property, 
116 — A  plot  to  murder  Cardinal  Beaton,  118 — Execution  of 
Wishart  the  Preacher,  120 — The  Cardinal  seized  in  his  own 
castle  and  murdered,  122. 

IX. 

Reformation  Movement  to  the  Overthrow 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Scot- 
land.      .......  123-136 

The  Assassins  retained  the  Cardinal's  Castle,  and  John  Knox 
joined  them  ;  the  Castle  taken ;  the  Garrison  and  Knox  con- 
veyed captives  to  France,  123 — Aggressive  Policy  of  England; 
the  Scots  reduced  to  great  extremities,  125 — Attempts  of  the 
Catholic  Clergy  to  Reform  the  Abuses  of  the  Church  ;  New 
Canons  and  Catechism,  125 — Trial  and  Execution  of  Adam 
Wallace  for  Heresy,  127  —  Arran's  regency  terminated; 
Regency  of  the  Queen's  mother ;  Advance  of  the  Reformed 
Doctrines  ;  Efforts  of  Knox,  128 — A  party  of  the  Nobles  formed 
a  bond  to  advance  the  reform  of  Religion  ;  Braking  of  Images  ; 
Influence  of  Sir  David  Lindsay's  Writings  on  the  Reform 
Movement,  130  —  Execution  of  Walter  Mill;  the  Chief 
Preachers  summoned,  131 — Crisis;  Knox's  Sermon  in  Perth; 
Destruction  of  Monasteries  ;  Vehement  Manifestoes,  132 — 
Civil  War  ;  Death  of  Henry  II.  of  France  ;  Arrival  of  French 
Troops  to  uphold  Catholicism,  133 — The  Reform  Party  reduced 
to  great  extremities  ;  they  concluded  a  Treaty  with  England, 
and  an  English  Army  advanced  to  Leith ;  Treaty  of  Edin- 
burgh ;  Peace  Proclaimed,  134 — Death  of  the  Queen  Regent  ; 
a  New  Confession  of  Faith  adopted,  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  abolished  in  Scotland,  136. 

X. 

Reign  of  Queen  Mary  137—15 7 

Arrival  of  Queen  Mary ;  she  was  placed  in  trying  cir- 
cumstances, 137 — Efforts  of  the  Reformers  to  organise  the 
new  Church ;  scheme  of  the  Government  disposing  of  the 
Revenue  of  the  Church;  Knox  denounced  ir,  139 — The 
Preachers  declaimed  against  the  amusements  of  the  Court ; 
Interview  between  Knox  and  the  Queen,  141 — The  Queen's 


xiv 


CONTENTS. 


Marriage  with  Darnley ;  Moray's  party  bitterly  opposed  it ; 
Revolted  ;  Proclaimed  Rebels  and  fled  to  England,  142 — 
Darnley  became  the  dupe  of  the  Nobles ;  a  plot  to  murder 
Riccio  and  restore  the  banished  Nobles  ;  Murder  of  Riccio, 
145 — Return  of  the  Nobles ;  Flight  of  the  Queen  ;  an  army 
rallied  round  her  and  the  rebellious  Nobles  again  fled,  149 — 
Birth  of  James  VI.  ;  Policy  of  the  Scotch  Aristocracy,  149 — 
A  Plot  to  murder  Darnley ;  he  became  sick ;  Visited  by  the 
Queen,  and  removed  to  Edinburgh  ;  Preparations ;  Murder  of 
Darnley,  1 50 — Excitement  in  Edinburgh  ;  Conduct  of  Both- 
well ;  his  Mock  Trial,  151 — The  Nobles  recommended  Both- 
well  as  a  husband  for  the  Queen,  153 — He  seized  Mary  and 
married  her;  Troubles  gathered  around  the  Queen,  153 — A 
party  of  the  Nobles  seized  Edinburgh  and  the  Government ; 
Mary  and  Bothwell  mustered  an  Army,  but  the  Nobles  faced 
it ;  she  surrendered  and  Bothwell  fled,  155 — The  Nobles  im- 
prisoned the  Queen ;  Deposed  her ;  Appointed  the  Earl  of 
Moray  Regent,  and  crowned  the  Infant  King,  156. 

XI. 

Conflict  of  the  Nation  to  the  Union  of  the 
Crowns  158-1 

State  of  Parties ;  Moray  assumed  the  Government,  158 — 
Mary's  escape  from  prison  ;  Battle  of  Langside ;  Flight  of 
Mary  to  England,  159 — Moray  struggled  to  maintain  order, 
but  he  was  shot,  159 — The  Factions  of  the  King  and  Queen 
fought  bitterly  ;  the  Regent  Lennox  slain,  1 60 — The  Earl  of 
Morton  elected  Regent ;  the  Queen's  Party  subdued,  16 1 — 
Death  of  Knox  ;  his  Work,  162 — Efforts  of  the  Clergy  to 
improve  the  organisation  of  the  Church  ;  Morton's  enemies 
closing  around  him  ;  the  King's  Favourites  ;  Trial  and  Execu- 
tion of  Morton,  163 — The  King's  Favourites  supreme  ;  a  plot 
against  them ;  the  Raid  of  Ruthven  ;  the  King  a  captive, 
164 — Escape  of  the  King ;  Flight  of  the  Nobles ;  Execution 
of  the  Earl  of  Gowrie,  164 — Contest  of  the  Clergy  with  the 
Crown  ;  Andrew  Melville  before  the  Council ;  Despotic  Acts  ; 
a  number  of  the  Clergy  fled,  165 — Return  of  the  Banished 
Nobles,  167 — Legal  Establishment  of  Presbyterianism,  168 — 
Rebellion  of  the  Catholic  Earls  ;  Battle  of  Gl^nlivet ;  Advance 
of  the  Royal  Army  ;  Flight  of  the  Catholic  Earls,  168— Their 
Return  alarmed  the  Clergy ;  Vehement  Speeches ;  a  Tumult 


CONTENTS. 


XV 


in  Edinburgh  ;  the  King  enraged,  169 — The  King  intent  on 
changing  the  Polity  of  the  Church  ;  Gowrie  Conspiracy,  172 
—Accession  of  the  King  to  the  Throne  of  England,  173 — 
Literature  of  the  Period,  174. 


Result    of    the    Union  of  the   Crowns  on 
Scotland  177-184 

Increased  power  of  the  Crown  used  to  crush  Liberty  and 
Freedom ;  the  King  summoned  the  leading  Presbyterian 
Ministers  to  London,  177 — His  attempts  to  Establish  Episco- 
pacy, 178 — Charles  I.  ;  Act  of  Revocation  alarmed  the  Nobles  ; 
a  Compromise  ;  Tithes  adjusted,  180  —  Charles's  visit  to 
Scotland  ;  a  New  Liturgy  and  Book  of  Canons  promulgated 
and  the  People  commanded  to  conform  ;  the  National  Senti- 
ments opposed  to  them,  181 — Great  Tumults  in  Edinburgh, 
183. 

XIII. 

Covenanting  Conflict  185-206 

Charles  I.  misunderstood  the  National  Sentiments ;  Petitions 
against  the  Liturgy;  the  King's  Answer,  185 — Tumultuous 
Proceedings,  188 — Energy  of  the  Opposition ;  their  Com- 
mittees assumed  the  Functions  of  Government,  189 — Their 
demands,  190 — The  King  resolved  to  force  the  Liturgy  upon 
the  People,  192 — Crisis  ;  the  Covenant  adopted  ;  enthusiastic 
assemblage  of  the  People,  193 — Copies  of  the  Covenant  circu- 
lated throughout  the  Kingdom  ;  Embarrassment  of  the  Govern- 
ment, 194 — The  Marquis  of  Hamilton's  Mission  failed  ;  the 
Covenanters  demanded  a  Free  Assembly,  195 — Meeting  of  the 
Assembly ;  the  Royal  Commissioner  dissolved  it,  but  it  con- 
tinued to  sit  and  completed  its  work  ;  the  Liturgy  and  Epis- 
copacy condemned ;  Presbyterianism  restored,  197 — The  Cove- 
nanters appeared  in  arms  ;  the  King  faced  them  ;  a  Compro- 
mise, but  Charles  trifled  with  them,  198 — A  Committee  of 
Parliament  assumed  the  Government,  and  the  Covenanting 
Army  crossed  the  Tweed,  199 — The  King  temporised  ;  visited 
Scotland  and  sanctioned  the  proceedings  of  Parliament,  201 — 
Solemn  League  and  Covenant  adopted  ;  the  Scotch  Army 
again  crossed  the  Tweed,  202 — Career  of  Montrose,  204 — 


xvi 


CONTENTS. 


The  King's  Cause  failing  ;  he  fled  to  the  Scotch  Army  ; 
Dispute  between  the  English  and  Scots  touching  the  pay  of 
the  Scotch  Army,  204 — The  Long  Parliament  compelled  the 
Scots  to  surrender  the  King  ;  Execution  of  Charles  I.,  205. 

XIV. 

Charles  II.    The  Kingdom  under  Cromwell  207-211 

Charles  II.  proclaimed  King ;  he  signed  the  Covenant,  and 
landed  in  Scotland,  207 — Cromwell  invaded  Scotland,  and 
defeated  the  Scots,  208 — The  King  crowned ;  Scotland  sub- 
dued, 209 — Cromwell's  Government  of  Scotland,  210 — Death 
of  Cromwell ;  Departure  of  the  English  Army  ;  the  King 
recalled,  211. 

XV. 

Restoration.    Persecution         .      .       .  213-234 

Sentiments  associated  with  the  Restoration  ;  State  of  the 
Scotch  Nobles,  213 — Public  Meetings  prohibited  ;  the  Grand 
Achievement  of  the  New  Parliament,  214 — Trial  and  Execution 
of  the  Marquis  of  Argyle,  Rev.  James  Guthrie,  and  Johnston 
of  Warriston,  215 — The  Privy  Council  invested  with  new 
powers  ;  Reproduction  of  Episcopacy  ;  Characteristics  of  the 
new  Hierarchy,  216 — Presbyterian  Ministers  ejected,  217 — 
Oppressive  Acts  of  Parliament  and  the  Privy  Council  ;  Severe 
Persecution,  217 — Rising  of  1666;  Defeat  of  the  Insurgents; 
Treatment  of  the  Prisoners,  218 — An  Army  enforcing  Religious 
Conformity,  219 — Attempt  to  assassinate  Archbishop  Sharp, 
220 — Field  Meetings  increased  ;  the  soldiers  ordered  to  kill 
all  who  resisted  ;  a  Body  of  Special  Sheriffs  commissioned  to 
try  Religious  Offenders  ;  Murder  of  Archbishop  Sharp,  221 — 
Great  Meeting  on  Loudon  Hill ;  Skirmish  with  the  Troops ; 
Spread  of  the  Insurrection  ;  Battle  of  Bothwell  Bridge  ;  Defeat 
of  the  Insurgents  ;  Treatment  of  the  Prisoners,  222 — Duke  of 
York  in  Scotland  ;  Trial  and  Escape  of  tho  Earl  of  Argyle,  224 
— Continuation  of  the  Persecution  ;  Death  of  Charles  II.  ; 
Accession  of  the  Duke  of  York,  226 — Failure  of  Argyle's 
attempt  against  the  Government,  227 — The  King's  Scheme 
of  reintroducing  Roman  Catholicism,  228 — Crisis  approaching  ; 
Prince  of  Orange's  Declaration  ;  Great  Excitement  in  Scot- 
land ;  the  Bishops,  229 — Orange  assumed  the  Government  and 


CONTENTS. 


xvii 


summoned  a  Convention,  230 — Meeting  of  the  Convention  in 
Edinburgh ;  Letters  from  the  Prince  of  Orange  and  King 
James,  231 — Flight  of  Viscount  Dundee  to  the  North  ; 
intense  excitement  in  the  Convention  ;  the  Covenanters  called 
to  arms,  232 — The  Throne  declared  vacant  ;  the  Claim  of 
Right,  233. 

XVI. 

The  Revolution  and  the  Union        .       .  235-260 

Conflicting  Convictions  and  Parties ;  King  William's  Diffi- 
culties ;  Carstairs,  235 — Movements  of  Viscount  Dundee  and 
the  Jacobites  ;  Battle  of  Killiecrankie  ;  Consternation,  237 — 
Presbyterian  Polity  restored  ;  Means  employed  by  the  Govern- 
ment to  subdue  their  Opponents,  240 — Pacification  of  the 
Highland  Chiefs ;  Massacre  of  Glencoe,  241 — Progress  of 
Elementary  Education,  243 — Rise  of  a  Commercial  Spirit ; 
the  Darien  Scheme  ;  its  tragic  end  raised  intense  indignation 
in  Scotland,  246 — Attempts  to  form  a  Union,  250 — Meeting 
of  Parliament  ;  a  Series  of  alarming  Acts  passed,  and  the 
Nation  assumed  a  determined  attitude,  251 — The  English 
Parliament  authorised  a  Treaty  to  be  negotiated  ;  this  placed 
before  the  Scotch  Parliament,  and  after  long  and  vehement 
debate  it  authorised  the  appointment  of  Commissioners  to 
treat  with  the  English,  252 — The  Treaty  of  Union  drawn  ; 
placed  before  the  Scotch  Parliament  and  the  Articles  read  and 
debated,  254 — A  vehement  Debate  before  the  Vote  was  taken 
on  the  Pirst  Article,  256 — Many  Petitions  presented  against 
the  Union  ;  the  last  great  effort  of  the  Jacobi'es  to  defeat  the 
Union ;  Animated  Debates  ;  Protests  and  Counter-protests ; 
— Treaty  of  Union  carried,  259. 

XVII. 

Risings  of  1715,  and  1745  .      .      .  261-273 

The  Jacobites  encouraged  disaffection  ;  other  causes  of  irrita- 
tion, 261 — Mar's  connection  with  the  Highland  Clans ; 
Rising  of  1715  ;  Arrival  of  the  Pretender;  Collapse  of  the 
Rising ;  Prisoners,  263 — Measures  to  secure  peace  in  the 
Highlands  ;  Causes  of  the  Rising  of  1745,  264 — Landing  of 
Prince  Charles  ;  Mustering  of  the  Clans ;  Advance  on  Edin- 


XV111 


CONTENTS. 


burgh  ;  Battle  of  Preston,  265 — March  to  Derby  ;  Retreat  of 
the  Prince's  Army,  267 — Battle  of  Culloden  ;  Cruel  Treatment 
of  the  People,  269 — Jacobite  Ballads  and  Songs,  272, 

XVIII. 

General  Result   of   the  Operation    of  the 
Union  274-289 

Commercial  advantages  of  the  Union,  274 — Moral  advantages, 
277 — Some  of  its  advantages  and  disadvantages  in  Political 
and  Legislative  Relations  277 — Fiscal  and  Excise  Arrange- 
ments ;  Malt-Tax  ;  Determined  opposition  to  it ;  Disturbance ; 
the  Military  called  out ;  Excessively  raised  in  1803,  278 — 
Scotch  Whisky  ;  Smuggling  ;  Quantities  of  Whisky  produced 
and  consumed  in  Scotland,  282 — Forfeited  Estates  ;  Emigra- 
tion ;  Making  of  Canals,  Roads,  and  Bridges,  in  the  Highlands, 
284 — no  Popular  Representation  in  the  last  century  ;  Suppres- 
sion of  all  attempts  of  Reform  ;  Effect  of  changed  conditions, 
287. 

XIX. 

Religious  Movements  .  290-306 

Theocratic  conception  of  the  Church  and  State,  290 — Historic 
Polity  of  the  Church  of  Scotland  ;  Election  of  Ministers,  291 
— Internal  Struggles  of  the  Church,  292 — Disruption  ;  Causes 
and  Character  of  the  Movement,  295 — The  Assembly  of  1843  > 
the  Final  Scene,  303. 

XX. 

Modern  Literature  of  Scotland       .      .  307-325 

Historical  Literature :  Hume,  Robertson,  Tytler,  Alison, 
Burton,  Carlyle,  Skene,  307 — Poetry :  Ramsay,  Thomson, 
Fergusson,  Burns,  Campbell,  Scott,  Hogg,  311 — Fiction: 
Smollett,  Scott,  Gait,  Wilson,  320 — Miscellaneous  Litera- 
ture :  Lord  Karnes,  Lord  Erskine,  Dr.  Chalmers,  Lord 
Jeffrey,  Dr.  Tulloch,  323 — Conclusion,  327. 


Index  331 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

JAMES  vi,  •  ...  Frontispiece 
map  of  SCOTLAND  To  face  page  I 


ROMAN  URN  (FOUND  AT  THE  DEAN,  EDINBURGH).        .  7 

COINS  OF  ALEXANDER  1   27 

COINS  OF  DAVID  1   32 

COINS  OF  WILLIAM  THE  LION   35 

SEAL  OF  ALEXANDER  III.  =38 

COINS  OF  ALEXANDER  II.  AND  III   40 

SEALS  OF  DAVID  I.  AND  ROBERT  I.          ....  42 

THE  OLD  BRIDGE  OF  STIRLING   54 

STIRLING  CASTLE   57 

CORA  LINN,  NEAR  THE  SUPPOSED  CAVE  OF  WALLACE   .  58 

ROBERT  BRUCE    64 

RUINS  OF  ST.  ANDREWS  CATHEDRAL  80 

INVERNESS  FROM  THE  RIVER  SIDE  84 

SOUTH  SIDE  OF  EDINBURGH  CASTLE  90 

ARRAN   96 

JOHN,  DUKE  OF  ALBANY,  AND  QUEEN  MARGARET          .  IOI 

JAMES  V.,  KING  OF  SCOTLAND   I09 


PALACE  OF  MARY  OF  GUISE,  CASTLE  HILL,  EDINBURGH  III 


XX  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

THE  EARL  OF  ARRAN   114 

HOLYROOD  ABBEY   I17 

CARDINAL  BEATON    .         .         .   II9 

HOUSE  OF  CARDINAL  BEATON   121 

PORTRAIT  AND  AUTOGRAPH   OF  JOHN  KNOX  .  ,124 

MARY  OF  GUISE,  QUEEN  REGENT     .        0        .        .  ,126 

JOHN  KNOX'S  HOUSE   1 29 

MARY  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS   138 

CIPHER  OF  LORD  DARNLEY  AND  QUEEN  MARY      .        .  143 

DOORWAY  IN  WHICH  RICCIO  WAS   MURDERED        .        .  I46 

THE  REGENT  MORTON   148 

QUEEN  MARY'S  ROOM,  CRAIGMILLER  CASTLE  .  1 54 

MUSSELBURGH  CASTLE   156 

LOCH  LEVEN  AND  CASTLE   1 57 

GRAVE  OF  JOHN  KNOX   162 

GEORGE  BUCHANAN   175 

COMMON  SEAL  OF  EDINBURGH   187 

THE  EARL  OF  LOUDON   191 

FLAG  OF  THE  COVENANTERS   200 

THE  MAIDEN   225 

THE  PASS  AT  GLENCOE   244 

LORD  BELHAVEN  •        »        .  257 

BOTHWELL  CASTLE   262 

CHARLES  EDWARD  IN  LATER  YEARS        ....  266 

THE  OLD  TOLBOOTH  TOWER,  ABERDEEN         .        •        •  269 


45,  GUEST  ROW,  ABERDEEN,  INHABITED   BY  THE  DUKE 

OF  CUMBERLAND         .        •        •        .        0        •        .  271 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xxi 


PAGE 

MONUMENT  TO  C.  H.  BELL  (THE  BUILDER  OF  THE  FIRST 

STEAM  VESSEL)  ON  THE  BANKS  OF  THE  CLYDE       .  275 

THE  CLYDE  MAKER  AT  WORK   276 

SCUIR  NA-GILLIAN   286 

DR.  CHALMERS   298 

EDINBURGH   304 

HUME'S  GRAVE   308 

THOMAS  CARLYLE   3IO 

THE    HOUSE    IN    BROAD    STREET,    ABERDEEN,  WHERE 

BYRON  LIVED  WHEN  A  BOY   312 

THE  COTTAGE  WHERE  BURNS  WAS  BORN        .        .        .  313 

ROBERT  BURNS  .        .        .        .        .        .        .        ,        ,  315 

SIR  WALTER  SCOTT   317 

LOCH  LOMOND                                                                      .  32 1 

HOUSE  OF  JAMIESON,  THE  SCOTCH  VANDYCK,  ABERDEEN  326 

ELLEN'S  ISLE,  LOCH  KATRINE   329 


THE  STORY  OF  SCOTLAND 


i. 

EARLY  HISTORY. 

WHEN  Man  awoke  from  a  long  dream  to  conscious- 
ness, and  looked  wistfully  around  him  in  amazement, 
he  readily  snatched  at  anything,  and  believed  in  any- 
thing, that  seemed  to  give  him  any  explanation  or 
relieved  his  embarrassment.  Thus  the  early  histories 
of  most  nations  are  enveloped  in  legends  and  myths  ; 
and  Scotland  has  a  legendary  story  touching  the  origin 
of  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  country.  One  form  of 
our  legend  was  that  Gathelus,  a  Greek,  with  a  band 
of  followers,  went  to  Egypt  about  the  time  of  the 
Exodus,  and,  after  performing  many  great  actions, 
was  appointed  commander-in-chief  of  the  Egyptian 
forces,  and  married  Scota,  Pharaoh's  daughter.  After 
the  destruction  of  the  Egyptian  army  in  the  Red 
Sea,  he  fled  with  his  wife  by  way  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, landed  in  Portugal,  and  founded  a  king- 
dom in  Brigantium,  and  there  reigned  as  king.  In 
process  of  time  a  descendant  of  his  became  King  of 
Ireland.    The  Scots  came  from  Ireland,  and  Fergus, 


z 


EARLY  HISTORY. 


the  son  of  Ferchand,  was  their  first  king  on  this 
side  of  the  sea.  So  Fergus  I.  founded  the  Scottish 
monarchy,  three  centuries  before  the  Christian  era  ; 
and  a  line  of  one  hundred  and  ten  kings  succeeded 
and  sat  on  the  throne  which  he  had  established. 

This  story  was  put  forward  in  support  of  the  anti- 
quity and  independence  of  the  kingdom,  after  the 
difficulties  with  England  had  arisen  in  the  later  years 
of  the  thirteenth  century.  In  the  disputes  with 
England  the  long  line  of  kings  had  some  effect 

From  evidence  obtained  by  a  different  method  it 
appears  that  Britain  was  inhabited  in  a  far  past  age, 
at  least  several  thousands  of  years  before  the  Christian 
era.  A  people  of  the  Basque  race  spread  over  the 
greater  part  of  Europe  before  the  arrival  of  any 
branch  of  the  Aryan  race,  and  were  in  possession  of 
Britain  at  a  remote  period.  But  the  traces  of  their 
occupation  of  the  several  parts  of  the  island  are 
scanty,  consisting  of  stone  objects  and  tools,  and 
human  remains,  and  they  cannot  be  discussed  in 
this  volume,  further  than  to  say  that,  from  the  evidence, 
it  seems  probable  that  tribes  akin  to  the  Basques  had 
penetrated  into  Scotland  before  the  coming  of  the 
Celtic  race. 

The  Celts  were  the  first  branch  of  the  Aryan  race 
who  invaded  Europe.  They  spread  over  a  large  part 
of  it,  and  afterwards,  at  intervals,  they  were  followed 
by  other  branches  of  the  same  race,  and  the  new- 
comers pressed  the  Celts  onward  and  outward.  Thus 
began  the  long  struggle  which  subsequently  made 
European  history. 

It  is  highly  probable  that  the  Celtic  race  occupied 


EARLY  INHABITANTS.     ROMAN  INVASION.  3 

Scotland  in  the  polished  Stone  Age,  and  gradually 
subdued  and  absorbed  the  race  which  had  preceded 
them.  There  is  evidence  of  various  kinds  to  show 
that  they  had  inhabited  the  country  for  a  long  period 
before  the  Roman  invasion.  They  had  domesticated 
animals  and  herds  of  cattle ;  they  had  war-chariots 
and  metallic  weapons  ;  and  they  had  attained  to  a 
certain  degree  of  organisation  and  culture. 

Their  religion  was  polytheistic.  It  consisted  of  a 
belief  in  supernatural  beings,  ghosts,  and  spirits, 
which  pervaded  nature,  man,  and  animals,  rivers, 
wells,  and  mountains.  Very  little  indication  of  an 
organised  heathen  priesthood  among  the  early  Celtic 
tribes  of  Scotland  has  yet  been  found. 

Julius  Caesar  visited  Britain  forty-five  years  before 
the  Christian  era,  but  nearly  a  century  elapsed  ere 
the  Romans  made  a  determined  effort  to  conquer  the 
island.  In  the  year  A.D.  43,  the  real  conquest  of 
Britain  was  begun  ;  and  by  77  the  Roman  province 
had  been  extended  nearly  to  the  Solway  Firth. 
Agricola  was  appointed  to  the  chief  command  in 
Britain  in  78.  In  the  summer  of  the  following  year, 
he  appears  to  have  advanced  to  the  border  counties 
of  Scotland.  In  that  region  his  advance  was  con- 
tested at  every  step  by  warlike  tribes,  who  were 
unable,  however,  to  withstand  the  disciplined  Legions. 
Everywhere  the  inhabitants  offered  resistance ;  and 
during  the  winter  Agricola  was  engaged  in  bringing 
under  subjection  the  territory  overrun  by  his  troops. 

In  80  he  determined  to  move  northward  and  attack 
the  Caledonians  in  their  own  strongholds.  He  pene- 
trated nearly  as  far  as  the  Firth  of  Tay,  and  secured, 


4 


EARLY  HISTORY. 


by  erecting  forts  and  outposts,  some  portions  of  the 
territories  through  which  he  had  passed.  His  main 
line  of  defence  he  fixed  on  the  ground  lying  between 
the  Firths  of  Forth  and  Clyde,  and  the  summer  of  81 
was  spent  in  erecting  a  chain  of  forts  along  this  line. 
Afterward  he  seems  to  have  entered  Fifeshire,  and 
slowly  advanced  with  the  assistance  of  the  Roman 
fleet  toward  the  Tay.  His  army  proceeded  in  three 
divisions  not  far  apart  from  each  other  ;  and  the 
Caledonians  resolved  to  attack  one  of  them — the 
Ninth  Legion.  One  night  they  assailed  it,  and  fought 
their  way  through  the  gate  and  into  the  heart  of  the 
Roman  camp  ;  but  Agricola  himself,  with  the  fleetest 
of  the  horse  and  foot,  came  to  the  rescue.  When 
day  dawned  the  Caledonians  had  to  fight  the  Ninth 
Legion  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  reinforcement  on 
the  other,  and  the  real  struggle  was  at  the  gate  of 
the  camp.  The  Legions  were  victorious,  and  the 
Caledonians  retired  under  cover  of  the  marshes. 

They  were  not  disheartened.  Agricola  learned  as 
the  season  passed  that  they  were  combining  to  strike 
a  blow,  and  were  removing  their  wives  and  children 
to  places  of  safety.  Both  combatants  were  preparing 
for  the  struggle  which  was  to  determine  whether  the 
Romans  were  to  obtain  dominion  over  the  whole 
island. 

In  the  beginning  of  summer  86,  Agricola  sent  his 
fleet  round  the  coasts  to  ravage  the  seaboard  and 
alarm  the  inhabitants.  He  then  advanced  with  his 
army  to  Mons  Grampius,  and  there  the  Caledonians 
were  posted  for  battle.  The  native  force  numbered 
30,000,  under  the  command  of  Galgacus.    As  it  was 


BATTLE  OF  MONS  GRAMPIUS. 


5 


the  custom  for  the  leaders  of  armies  to  address  their 
troops  on  the  eve  of  a  battle,  so  Tacitus  the  historian 
puts  a  speech  into  the  mouth  of  Galgacus,  the  leader 
of  the  Caledonians,  and  a  few  sentences  of  it  may  be 
quoted  : — 

"  When  I  reflect  on  the  circumstances  of  our  posi- 
tion, I  feel  a  strong  persuasion  that  our  united  efforts 
this  day  will  prove  the  beginning  of  universal  liberty 
to  Britain.  ...  In  all  the  battles  yet  fought  against 
the  Romans,  our  countrymen  may  be  deemed  to  have 
reposed  their  final  hope  in  us  ;  for  we,  the  noblest 
sons  of  Britain,  and  therefore  stationed  in  its  last 
recesses,  far  from  the  view  of  servile  shores,  have 
preserved  even  our  eyes  unpolluted  by  the  contact 
of  subjection,  .  .  .  Those  plunderers  of  the  world, 
after  exhausting  the  land  by  their  devastations,  are 
rifling  the  ocean  ;  stimulated  by  avarice  if  their  enemy 
be  rich,  by  ambition  if  poor  ;  unsatiated  by  the  East 
and  by  the  West,  the  only  people  who  behold  wealth 
and  indigence  with  equal  avidity.  To  ravage,  to 
slaughter,  to  usurp,  under  false  titles,  they  call 
empire,  and  where  they  make  a  desert,  they  call  it 
peace.  .  .  .  And  shall  not  we,  untouched,  unsubdued, 
and  struggling  not  for  the  acquisition,  but  for  the 
security  of  liberty,  show  at  the  very  first  onset  what 
men  Caledonia  has  reserved  for  her  defence  ?  Be  not 
terrified  by  an  idle  show,  and  the  glitter  of  silver  and 
gold,  which  can  neither  protect  nor  wound.  In 
the  very  ranks  of  the  enemy  we  shall  find  our 
own  bands.  The  Britons  will  acknowledge  their  own 
cause.  The  Gauls  will  recollect  their  former  liberty. 
The  rest  of  the  Germans  will  desert  them,  as  the 


6 


EARLY  HISTORY. 


Usipii  have  lately  done.  Nor  is  there  anything 
formidable  behind  them.  Ungarrisoned  towns,  colo- 
nies of  old  men,  municipal  towns,  distempered  and 
distracted  between  unjust  masters  and  ill-obeying 
subjects.  There  is  a  general ;  here  an  army.  There 
tributes,  mines,  and  all  the  train  of  punishments 
inflicted  on  slaves,  which,  whether  to  bear  eternally, 
or  instantly  to  revenge,  this  field  must  determine. 
March,  then,  to  battle,  and  think  of  your  ancestors 
and  of  your  posterity  ! " 

Agricola  was  afraid  of  being  out-flanked,  and  ex- 
tended his  line  to  the  utmost.  His  front  consisted 
of  8,000  auxiliaries  and  3,000  cavalry  on  the  wings, 
the  Legions  or  Roman  soldiers  were  held  in  reserve  ; 
and  placed  behind  the  centre.  The  Caledonian 
charioteers  were  moving  on  the  ground  between  the 
two  armies,  and  the  footmen  were  posted  on  the 
heights.  While  the  fighting  was  with  missiles  at  a 
distance,  the  native  troops  held  their  ground,  and 
their  charioteers  drove  back  the  Roman  cavalry ;  but 
Agricola  sent  forward  five  cohorts  to  charge  them 
with  swords.  For  this  weapon  the  natives  were 
unprepared,  and  their  first  line  fell  back.  The  whole 
Roman  line  then  advanced  to  the  charge.  Galgacus 
tried  a  flank  movement  with  his  reserve,  but  it  failed  ; 
the  chariots  became  entangled  in  the  broken  ground, 
and  a  defeat  ensued.  They  retreated,  and  attempted 
to  check  the  pursuit  of  the  Romans  ;  but  many  of 
the  natives  were  slain.  The  Roman  general  did  not 
pursue  them  beyond  the  Tay,  but  returned  south  to 
his  winter  quarters  ;  and  shortly  after  he  was  recalled 
to  Rome. 


ROMAN  WALLS. 


7 


The  Roman  troops  continued  to  have  an  incessant 
struggle  with  the  northern  tribes  ;  and  forty  years 
later  the  border  counties  were  not  within  the  lines  of 
the  empire.  Between  the  years  120  and  138  the 
Romans  built  a  wall  from  the  river  Tyne  to  the 
Solway  Firth,  which  extended  over  seventy  miles,  and 
was  strengthened  at  intervals  by  forts  and  towers. 
Soon  afterwards  they  erected  another  wall,  which 
commenced  at  Bridgeness  on  the  Firth  of  Forth  and 


ROMAN  URN. 

(Found  at  the  Dean,  Edinburgh,) 


crossed  the  country  to  near  West  Kilpatrick  on  the 
Clyde.  This  wall  was  the  northern  limit  of  the 
empire  ;  and  it  was  the  strip  of  territory  on  the  south 
of  it  which  the  Romans  occupied  in  Scctland,  and 
even  there  they  were  never  long  permitted  to  hold 
undisputed  possession. 

By  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century  the  attacks  of 
the  Picts,  the  Scots,  and  other  tribes  upon  the  Roman 


8 


EARLY  HISTORY. 


province  had  become  extremely  harassing.  In  407 
Constantine  passed  over  to  Gaul,  withdrawing  all 
the  available  forces  in  Britain,  and  the  Imperial  sway 
ceased  in  Scotland.  The  Roman  occupation  of  a 
portion  of  the  country  had  failed  to  subdue  the  native 
tribes,  and  it  left  no  abiding  impression. 

When  the  Romans  left  the  island,  the  tribes 
occupying  the  part  of  the  country  which  had  been 
subdued,  formed  the  small  kingdom  of  Strathclyde, 
lying  between  the  two  Roman  walls.  After  it  was 
cut  off  from  the  north  of  England  by  the  encroach- 
ment of  the  Saxons,  it  comprised  the  counties  ol 
Ayr,  Lanark,  Renfrew,  and  parts  of  Dumbarton, 
Stirling,  and  Dumfries.  The  small  state  was  ex- 
posed to  the  incessant  attacks  of  the  Saxons  from 
the  south,  and  the  Picts  and  Scots  from  the  north 
and  the  west.  Although  the  Britons  struggled  hard 
to  defend  their  kingdom,  it  finally  became  absorbed 
in  the  rest  of  Scotland  early  in  the  eleventh  century. 

The  Picts  were  of  the  same  race  of  tribes  as  tho:^ 
whom  the  Romans  called  Caledonians.  In  the  sixth 
century  they  occupied  the  whole  country  on  the  north 
of  the  Firths  of  Forth  and  Clyde,  excepting  the  district 
of  Argyle  which  was  held  by  the  Scots.  Southward 
of  the  Forth,  in  Galloway  the  inhabitants  were  Picts, 
that  is,  Celtic  tribes.  The  Scots  from  Ireland  seem 
to  have  come  and  gone  at  different  times  ;  but  their 
final  settlement  in  Argyleshire  and  the  neighbouring 
isles  was  in  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  This 
body  of  Scots  consisted  of  the  three  sons  of  Ere — 
Lorn,  Fergus,  and  Angus — a  tribe  who  sometimes 
fought  among  themselves,  and    often   came  into 


STRUGGLES  OF  THE  CHIEF  TRIBES. 


9 


conflict  with  the  Saxons  and  the  Britons  of  Strath- 
clyde.  The  Saxons  entered  the  southern  parts  of 
Scotland  in  the  later  half  of  the  fifth  century  ;  and 
before  the  middle  of  the  sixth  they  had  established 
themselves  in  Lothian.  They  pressed  severely  on  the 
Britons  of  Strathclyde,  and  extended  their  conquests 
into  the  land  of  the  Picts.  In  685,  Egfrid,  their  king, 
attempted  a  bold  stroke,  crossed  the  Forth  at  Stirling, 
and  penetrated  into  the  heart  of  the  Pictish  territory. 
Continuing  his  advance  he  crossed  the  Tay,  and  in  a 
narrow  pass  of  the  Sadlaw  Hills  at  Dunnichin,  on  the 
20th  of  June,  his  army  was  attacked  and  utterly 
defeated.  The  king  was  slain,  and  few  of  his  army 
escaped.  This  battle  had  the  effect  of  severing  the 
district  between  the  Tay  and  the  Forth  from  the 
influence  which  would  have  tended  to  make  it  a  part 
of  England. 

But  the  people  south  of  the  Forth  in  Lothian 
remained  essentially  Saxon,  and  superseded  the  Celtic 
inhabitants  at  an  early  period :  there  the  Saxon  speech 
continued  and  gradually  spread. 

In  the  eighth  century  the  Picts  were  the  chief 
power  in  Scotland.  But  their  political  organisation 
resembled  a  rude  confederacy  more  than  a  regu- 
larly constituted  monarchy.  In  a  word,  the  Picts 
were  a  number  of  Celtic  tribes,  which  sometimes  on 
great  emergencies  combined  for  the  common  defence 
of  the  country.  Besides  the  feuds  incident  to  tribal 
communities,  the  Picts,  the  Britons,  the  Scots,  the 
Saxons,  and  eventually  the  Danes  or  Norsemen, 
carried  on  an  intermissive  warfare  with  one  another. 
In  the  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth  centuries,  these 


10 


EARLY  HISTORY. 


tribes  often  met  in  conflict  on  a  debateable  territory 
between  the  Forth  and  the  water  of  Almond,  in  the 
counties  of  Stirling  and  Linlithgow.  The  struggle 
between  the  tribes  continued  till  a  pretty  complete 
nationality  was  formed. 

The  original  centre  of  the  historic  kingdom  was  on 
the  banks  of  the  Tay  at  Scone,  Perth,  and  Dunkeld. 
The  venerated  coronation  stone  was  at  Scone,  and 
there  the  kings  were  installed  to  the  throne.  Perth 
was  one  of  the  chief  towns  of  the  country  from  the 
earliest  period.  Dunkeld,  fourteen  miles  farther  up 
the  Tay,  has  always  been  the  very  gate  to  the  High- 
lands ;  and  almost  every  invader  of  Caledonia  has 
attempted  to  enter  by  this  gorge  and  the  route 
thence  proceeding  through  the  valleys  of  Athole, 
Badenoch,  and  Strathspey,  to  the  northern  Highlands. 
It  must  have  been  early  observed  that  the  plain  of 
Strathmore,  the  Carse  of  Gowrie,  and  the  Carse  of 
Stirling,  were  worth  fighting  for  ;  and  from  the  dawn 
of  the  historic  period  onward  this  becomes  clearer. 

In  839,  the  Danes  invaded  the  territories  of  the 
Picts,  and  defeated  them.  Two  years  later  Kenneth 
McAlpin  obtained  the  small  kingdom  of  the  Scots  in 
Argyle  ;  and  in  844,  he  mounted  the  throne  of  the 
Picts  at  Scone.  This  was  the  natural  result  of  the 
long  struggle  of  the  various  tribes,  as  the  accumulating 
force  of  circumstances  and  a  common  religion  tended 
to  a  greater  concentration  of  power  under  some  one 
of  the  chief  tribes.  The  actual  kingdom  which 
Kenneth  McAlpin  obtained  only  comprised  a  limited 
part  of  modern  Scotland  :  it  consisted  of  Argyle,  the 
counties  of  Perth,  Fife,  and  parts  of  Forfar,  Dumbarton, 


FOUNDATION  OF  THE  MONARCHY.  II 

and  Stirling,  with  Scone,  the  Mount  of  Belief  and 
Royalty,  as  its  chief  seat.  The  districts  beyond  this 
centre  on  the  north-east,  the  north,  the  west,  and 
south,  were  only  gradually  and  with  extreme  difficulty 
subdued  as  the  nation  developed  to  its  ultimate  limits. 
After  the  establishment  of  the  historic  monarchy  under 
McAlpin,  the  reigning  monarchs  were  called  kings  of 
the  Picts,  then  kings  of  Alban.  Not  till  the  tenth 
century  was  any  part  of  the  country  called  Scotland, 
but  from  the  opening  of  the  eleventh  century  this 
name  gradually  came  to  be  applied  to  the  whole 
country. 


II 


INTRODUCTION  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 

The  chief  tribes,  and  the  centre  of  the  historic 
kingdom,  having  thus  been  indicated,  some  account 
must  be  given  of  the  introduction  of  a  new  religion. 
Christianity  was  a  prime  factor  in  the  development  of 
Scotland.  It  became  interwoven  with  the  government, 
the  institutions,  the  education,  the  literature,  the  music, 
the  amusements,  and  the  life  of  the  people.  Its 
influence  operated  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave. 

St.  Ninian  is  amongst  the  earliest  of  the  new 
teachers  whose  names  have  come  down  to  us.  He 
was  the  son  of  a  British  prince,  and  was  educated  in 
the  Christian  faith  at  Rome.  His  life  was  written  by 
Ailred,  a  monk  of  the  twelfth  century,  but  it  contains 
little  reliable  information.  Bede  lived  nearer  to  the 
saint's  time,  and  records  that  Ninian  converted  the 
southern  Picts,  and  built  a  church  of  stone,  which  was 
unusual  among  them.  This  church  was  in  Galloway 
at  a  spot  called  Whithern,  and  it  developed  into  a 
monastery. 

St.  Ninian  restored  the  sight  of  a  king  of  Strath- 
clyde,  on  whom  God  had  inflicted  the  punishment  of 


ST.  N  IN  IAN.     ST.  KENTIGERN. 


13 


blindness  for  his  opposition,  and  when  thus  subdued 
and  healed,  the  king  became  a  friend  of  the  saint  and 
a  ready  supporter  of  the  servants  of  Christ.  He  died 
in  432,  and  was  buried  in  his  own  church  at  Whithern. 
His  biographer  affirmed  that  the  relics  of  the  saint 
worked  many  miracles  ;  that  at  his  tomb  the  sick 
were  cured,  the  lepers  cleansed,  the  blind  restored  to 
sight,  and  the  wicked  terrified.  We  know  from  later 
sources  that  the  relics  of  St.  Ninian  were  objects  of 
veneration  down  to  the  Reformation.  The  best 
evidence  of  the  mission  of  St.  Ninian  in  Scotland, 
and  his  place  in  the  grateful  remembrance  of  the 
people,  is  shown  in  the  number  of  the  churches 
dedicated  to  his  name.  Churches  were  dedicated  to 
him  in  twenty-five  counties  stretching  from  Wigton  to 
Sutherland ;  upwards  of  sixty  dedications  to  him  have 
been  recorded. 

In  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century  St.  Kentigern, 
better  known  as  St.  Mungo,  began  his  work  amongst 
the  Britons  of  Strathclyde,  where  he  encountered 
many  difficulties.  The  king  and  the  people  were  all 
heathens  ;  and  in  spite  of  St.  Mungo's  energy  and 
miracles,  King  Morken  scorned  his  life  and  doctrine, 
and  publicly  resisted  him.  When  the  saint  asked  for 
some  supplies  of  food  to  the  monastery,  the  king 
spurned  his  petition,  and  inflicted  new  injuries  on  him. 
He  said  to  the  saint — "  Cast  thy  care  upon  the  Lord 
and  He  will  sustain  thee,  as  thou  hast  often  taught 
others,  that  they  who  fear  God  shall  lack  nothing. 
Thou  though  thou  fearest  God  and  keepeth  His  com- 
mandments art  in  want  of  everything,  even  thy 
necessary  food  ;  while  to  me,  who  neither  seek  the 


14  INTRODUCTION  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


Kingdom  of  God  nor  the  righteousness  thereof,  all 
prosperous  things  are  added,  and  plenty  of  all  sorts 
smileth  upon  me.  Thy  faith  therefore  is  vain,  and  thy 
teaching  false."  The  saint  pleaded  that  it  was  part  of 
the  inscrutable  ways  of  God  to  afflict  just  and  holy 
men  in  this  life,  while  the  wicked  were  exalted  by 
wealth.  The  king  rose  in  a  passion  and  said — "  What 
more  desirest  thou  ?  If  trusting  in  thy  God,  without 
human  hands,  thou  canst  transfer  to  thy  mansion  all 
the  corn  in  my  barns,  I  yield  with  a  glad  mind  and 
gift,  and  for  the  future  will  be  devotedly  obedient 
to  thy  requests." 

When  evening  came  the  saint  prayed  earnestly. 
Then  behold  !  the  rain  poured  down  in  torrents,  the 
waters  of  the  Clyde  rapidly  rose  into  a  flood  and 
overflowed  its  banks  where  the  king's  barns  were  and 
carried  them  down  the  stream  to  the  saint's  dwelling, 
beside  the  Mollindinor  burn  which  flows  through 
Glasgow.  But  the  miracle  only  enraged  the  king 
who  uttered  many  reproaches  against  the  saint ;  and 
when  he  approached,  the  king  rushed  on  him  and 
struck  him  with  his  heel,  and  smote  him  to  the  ground 
upon  his  back.  The  time  had  come  to  manifest  the 
Divine  power  on  behalf  of  the  injured  saint.  As 
Cathen,  the  king's  adviser,  had  instigated  the  matter, 
so  after  mounting  his  horse  to  ride  off,  and  laughing 
at  the  saint's  discomfiture,  his  prancing  steed  stumbled 
and  the  rider  fell  backward,  broke  his  neck,  and 
expired.  The  king  also  was  smitten  with  a  swelling 
in  his  feet  which  ended  in  his  death,  and  the  same 
disease  afflicted  his  family  till  it  became  extinct 

But  the  saint  was  forced  to  leave  Strathclyde, 


ST.  COLUMBA. 


15 


and  went  to  Wales,  where  he  laboured  many  years. 
Afterward,  when  King  Rederech  reigned  in  Strath- 
clyde,  the  saint  returned  and  spent  the  remaining 
years  of  his  life  amongst  the  Britons.  He  died  about 
the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century.  Under  the 
name  of  St.  Mungo,  he  became  the  patron  saint  of 
Glasgow,  and  was  widely  known  and  much  revered  in 
Scotland.  His  tomb  and  relics  at  Glasgow  were 
objects  of  intense  veneration  down  to  the  period  of 
the  Reformation. 

The  most  renowned  of  the  saints  who  introduced 
Christianity  among  the  tribes  of  Scotland  was  St 
Columba.  All  have  recognised  in  him  the  features  of  a 
veritable  hero.  He  was  born  of  royal  race  at  Gratan, 
in  the  county  of  Donegal  in  Ireland,  on  the  7th  of 
December,  521.  He  was  educated  in  his  native  land  ; 
and  about  the  year  553,  he  founded  the  monastery 
of  Durrow,  his  chief  institution  in  Ireland.  It  appears 
that  he  was  connected  with  some  of  the  political 
disputes  of  his  countrymen  ;  but  he  left  Ireland  with- 
out any  stigma  on  his  character,  and  frequently  re- 
visited it,  and  everywhere  met  with  the  highest 
respect. 

In  563,  Columba  with  twelve  companions  embarked 
in  a  wicker  boat  covered  with  hides,  and  after  touching 
at  Islay,  landed  and  settled  on  the  small  isle  of  Iona. 
It  lay  on  the  confines  of  the  territories  of  the  Scotch 
and  Pictish  tribes :  Connal,  the  king  of  the  former, 
gifted  it  to  Columba  ;  and  shortly  after  its  possession 
was  confirmed  to  him  by  Brude,  the  king  of  the  Picts. 
There  he  founded  his  chief  monastery,  and  thence 
sent  forth  missionaries  to  convert  the  lude  tribes  of 


1 6  INTRODUCTION  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


the  north  of  Scotland.  The  Scots  of  Argyle  w^re 
then  nominally  Christians,  but  the  Picts  were  not,  and 
it  was  among  the  latter  that  Columba  mostly  laboured. 
He  often  visited  the  mainland,  and  gained  an  influence 
over  its  chiefs.  In  the  year  565,  Columba  sought  out 
the  Pictish  king's  seat,  which  was  on  the  south  side  of 
the  river  Ness,  on  or  near  the  old  Castle  hill  of  Inver- 
ness. Brude  in  his  pride  had  shut  the  gate  against  the 
holy  man,  but  the  saint,  by  the  sign  of  the  cross  and 
knocking  at  it,  caused  it  to  fly  open  :  Columba  and 
his  companions  then  entered,  the  king  advanced  and 
met  them,  and  received  the  saint  with  due  respect, 
and  ever  after  honoured  him. 

Columba  and  his  disciples  preached  the  gospel 
among  the  Picts,  baptized  them,  and  founded  many 
monasteries.  Every  monastery  consisted  of  a  body  of 
clergy,  who  from  these  centres  went  out  in  circuits 
among  the  surrounding  tribes  to  teach  and  convert 
them,  and  returned  to  their  common  home  for  shelter 
and  support  ;  and  in  this  way  they  gradually  spread 
over  the  country. 

A  few  incidents  connected  with  Columba's  action 
among  the  people  may  be  narrated.  When  on  a  visit 
in  the  land  of  the  Picts,  he  heard  of  a  famous  well 
which  the  heathen  people  worshipped.  It  had  many 
evil  qualities,  and  those  who  drank  of  it  or  washed  in 
it  were  smitten  with  leprosy  or  some  severe  infirmity. 
Having  learned  the  state  of  the  case,  he  went  boldly 
to  the  well,  and  then  the  Magi  rejoiced,  as  they 
thought  that  he,  too,  would  suffer  from  the  touch  of 
the  baneful  water  ;  but  the  saint  raised  his  hands  and 
invoked  the  name  of  Christ,  then  washed  his  hands, 


COLUMBA'S  INSTITUTION  OF  ION  A.  1 7 


and  with  his  disciples,  drank  of  the  water  which  he 
had  blessed.  Henceforth  the  demons  departed  from 
the  well,  and  it  never  after  injured  any  one,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  became  famous  for  curing  diseases. 

In  the  account  of  St.  Columba's  life  there  is  no 
evidence  of  an  organised  heathen  priesthood  in  Scot- 
land ;  he  was  more  engaged  in  fighting  demons  than 
Druidical  priests.  He  went  out  one  day  to  a  seques- 
tered spot  in  the  woods  to  pray  ;  and  when  he  began 
a  host  of  black  demons  suddenly  attacked  him  with  iron 
darts :  "  But  he,  single-handed,  against  innumerable 
foes  of  such  a  nature,  fought  with  the  utmost  bravery, 
having  received  the  armour  of  the  Apostle  Paul. 
Thus  the  contest  was  maintained  on  both  sides  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  day,  nor  could  the  demons, 
countless  though  they  were,  vanquish  him,  nor  was  he 
able  by  himself  to  drive  them  from  the  island,  till  the 
angels  of  God,  as  the  saint  afterward  told  certain 
persons,  and  they  few  in  number,  came  to  his  aid, 
when  the  demons  in  terror  gave  way." 

The  sign  of  the  cross  was  much  employed.  It  was 
common  to  cross  tools  and  implements  before  using 
them  ;  and  in  Columba's  time  there  was  an  extensive 
use  of  charms  which  were  produced  by  his  blessing  on 
a  great  variety  of  objects. 

The  form  of  Christianity  introduced  was  essentially 
monastic.  As  Columba's  institution  of  Iona  was  the 
centre  of  religious  life  in  Scotland  for  two  centuries,  it 
presents  the  best  example.  The  monastery  of  Iona 
consisted  of  a  church  with  its  altar  and  recesses,  a 
refectory  and  kitchen,  the  huts  of  the  monks,  and  the 
abbot's  house,  in  which  St.  Columba  read  and  wrote, 


l8  INTRODUCTION  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 

having  several  attendants  awaiting  his  orders.  All  the 
buildings  were  inclosed  by  a  wall,  which  was  intended 
more  for  the  restraint  of  the  monies  than  for  security. 
Outside  the  wall  there  were  erections  for  cows, 
horses  grain,  and  agricultural  implements ;  for  the 
monks  heartily  engaged  in  the  labour  of  the  field.  The 
church  and  all  the  buildings  were  primitive  structures 
formed  of  wood. 

The  Abbot  was  the  head  of  the  community,  and 
his  authority  extended  over  all  the  monasteries  and 
churches  founded  by  Columba.  Bishops  in  Iona  and 
Scotland  in  the  lifetime  of  Columba,  and  for  two 
centuries  after,  were  subject  to  the  Abbots  of  Iona. 
St.  Columba  named  his  own  successor,  and  afterwards 
a  preference  was  given  in  the  election  of  the  Abbot  to 
the  founder's  kin.  Thus  the  sentiment  of  clanship 
entered  strongly  into  the  constitution  of  the  Colum- 
bian monasteries. 

The  members  of  the  monastery  were  summoned  to 
the  church  by  a  bell,  and  at  night  they  carried  lan- 
terns. The  chief  service  was  the  solemn  mass,  when 
the  offices  were  chanted  and  certain  saints  com- 
memorated by  name.  On  special  occasions  the  Abbot 
summoned  the  monks  by  the  toll  of  the  bell  to  the 
church  in  the  dead  of  night,  addressed  them,  asked 
their  prayers,  then  kneeled  himself  at  the  altar  and 
prayed. 

Besides  the  religious  services,  the  stated  employ- 
ment of  the  Columbian  community  was  reading, 
writing,  and  manual  labour.  The  manual  labour  was 
mainly  connected  with  agriculture  ;  and  there  is 
ground  for  believing  that  they  were  the  best  agri- 


INFLUENCE  OF  THE  EARLY  SAINTS.  ig 

culturists  of  the  period.  Their  example  of  peaceful 
toil  had  a  beneficial  influence  upon  the  people. 

Iona  continued  to  prosper,  and  occasionally  sent 
forth  men  of  energy,  who  founded  monasteries  beyond 
the  bounds  of  Scotland.  In  its  day  it  performed 
good  service,  and  contributed  to  the  civilisation  of  the 
people.  In  spite  of  its  solitary  position  evil  days 
came  upon  it,  for  in  80 1  the  monastery  was  burned 
by  the  Danes  ;  again  in  806,  they  landed  on  the 
island  and  slew  sixty-eight  of  the  inhabitants  ;  and 
they  returned  in  815,  and  killed  a  number  of  the 
monks.  By  this  time  the  influence  of  Iona  had  from 
other  causes  begun  to  decline,  and  ere  the  end  of 
the  ninth  century  Dunkeld  had  become  the  chief 
religious  centre. 

The  influence  of  the  early  saints  and  their  imme- 
diate successors  upon  the  subsequent  religious  feelings 
of  the  people  was  remarkable,  for  till  the  Reformation 
their  deaths  and  miracles  were  continually  comme- 
morated as  part  of  the  worship  of  the  nation.  Their 
shrines  and  relics  became  objects  of  extreme  vene- 
ration, and  some  relics  were  believed  to  possess 
marvellous  powers.  They  took  an  extensive  hold  on 
local  history  and  the  nomenclature  of  the  country  ;  the 
old  markets  all  over  the  kingdom  were  named  after 
them  ;  the  wells,  the  caves,  the  rocks,  and  the  moun- 
tains, often  bear  traces  of  the  early  saints.  The  new 
religion  tended  to  draw  the  people  more  together, 
and  contributed  greatly  to  develope  the  unity  of  the 
nation. 


III. 


STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY  TO  THE  END  OF  THE 
ELEVENTH  CENTURY. 

AFTER  the  historic  kingdom  was  founded,  and  while 
its  development  was  proceeding  from  the  centre  out- 
ward, it  was  persistently  attacked  by  external  enemies. 
The  Danes  and  Norwegians,  under  the  name  of  Norse- 
men, threatened  its  total  overthrow.  Though  these 
struggles  cannot  be  fully  detailed  in  this  volume,  it 
is  requisite  to  mention  them.  Thus  there  were  an 
internal  and  an  external  conflict  going  on  at  the  same 
time. 

Kenneth  McAlpin  died  in  860,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  brother  Donald,  who  reigned  four  years.  Con- 
stantine  L,  a  son  of  Kenneth,  then  ascended  the  throne, 
and  had  to  struggle  against  the  Norsemen.  In  the 
middle  of  the  ninth  century  these  ruthless  warriors 
extended  their  destructive  ravages  along  the  east 
and  west  coasts  of  Scotland  ;  they  entered  by  the 
firths  and  inlets,  and  penetrated  far  into  the  interior 
of  the  country,  ransacked  it  on  every  side,  inflicted 
much  suffering  and  privation  on  the  people,  and  pro- 
longed the  reign  of  confusion.     They  obtained  a 


STRUGGLE  WITH  THE  'NORSEMEN.  21 

footing  in  Caithness,  Sutherland,  and  other  parts 
along  the  coasts,  where  they  established  lasting 
memorials  of  their  prowess  in  the  memory  of  suc- 
ceeding generations. 

In  877  Constantine  I.  was  slain  in  a  conflict  with 
the  Norsemen  on  the  coasts  of  Fife.  Toward  the  end 
of  this  century  they  advanced  into  the  heart  of  the 
kingdom,  and  in  900  King  Donald,  when  fighting 
against  them,  was  slain  at  Dunnotter.  Constantine 
II.  then  mounted  the  throne  ;  and  in  904  he  defeated 
the  Norsemen  and  slew  their  leader  in  Strathern.  In 
906  the  king  held  a  national  council  on  the  Mote  Hill 
of  Scone,  in  which  the  bishop  and  the  people  vowed 
to  observe  the  laws  and  discipline  of  the  faith.  Con- 
stantine retired  to  the  monastery  of  St.  Andrews  in 
943,  and  Malcolm  I.  succeeded  to  the  throne.  He 
attempted  to  extend  the  bounds  of  the  kingdom 
beyond  the  Spey,  but  failed  ;  and  after  a  reign  of 
eleven  years,  he  was  slain  at  Fetteresso,  in  Kincar- 
dineshire. 

Indulf,  a  son  of  Constantine  II.,  ascended  the  throne 
in  954.  He  took  Edinburgh  and  added  it  to  the 
kingdom.  In  962  he  disappeared  from  the  scene, 
and  a  contest  for  the  throne  arose  between  Duff  and 
Colin,  which  terminated  on  the  death  of  the  latter  in 
971.  Kenneth  II.,  a  son  of  Malcolm  I.,  then  suc- 
ceeded to  the  throne.  He  immediately  threw  up 
entrenchments  at  the  fordable  points  of  the  river 
Forth,  and  endeavoured  to  extend  the  kingdom  south- 
ward. He  invaded  Northumberland,  and#  struggled 
hard  to  consolidate  the  kingdom.  After  a  reign  of 
twenty- four  years,  he  was  slain  at  Fettercairn,  in 
Kincardineshire. 


22    THE  COUNTRY  TO  END  OF  IITH  CENTURY. 

Constantine  III.  mounted  the  throne,  but  his  right 
was  contested  by  Kenneth  McDuff;  and  after  a 
struggle  Constantine  fell  in  the  second  year  of  his 
reign.  McDuff  reigned  eight  years  ;  and  was  slain  in # 
Strathern.  He  was  succeeded  by  Malcolm  II.,  who 
ascended  the  throne  in  1005. 

Malcolm  II.  began  his  reign  by  an  invasion  of 
Northumberland  ;  but  he  was  defeated, and  many  of  his 
followers  were  slain.  He  next  attempted  to  extend  his 
influence  over  the  northern  region  of  Scotland  by  the 
marriage  of  his  daughter  with  Sigurd,  the  ruler  of  the 
Orkney  Islands.  In  1018  he  mustered  his  army 
and  again  invaded  Northumberland.  A  battle  was 
fought  at  Carham,  on  the  banks  of  the  Tweed  ;  and 
Malcolm  gained  a  complete  victory ;  a  multitude  of 
the  enemy  perished  in  the  rout.  The  result  of  this 
battle  was  the  cession  of  Lothian  and  the  territory  up 
to  the  Tweed.  In  his  reign  the  kingdom  of  Strathclyde 
was  incorporated  into  Scotland  ;  and  the  kingdom 
had  reached  its  permanent  frontier  on  the  south  side, 
as  it  stood  when  the  great  struggle  with  England 
began  two  centuries  and  a  half  later.  Malcolm  died 
in  1034. 

He  was  succeeded  by  a  grandson,  Duncan,  but 
other  aspirants  to  the  throne  disputed  his  right  ;  and 
he  soon  became  involved  in  a  contest  with  the  local 
chiefs  beyond  the  Spey.  After  a  severe  struggle, 
Duncan  was  slain  by  Macbeth,  near  Elgin.  Macbeth, 
the  local  chief  of  Moray,  then  advanced  southward 
and  mounted  the  throne,  and  for  five  years  reigned  in 
peace.  In  1045  the  adherents  of  the  late  king 
attempted  to  drive  him  from  the  throne,  but  he 


MACBETH.     MALCOLM  CANMORE.  2$ 


utterly  defeated  them.  He  was  an  able  and  vigorous 
ruler,  and  the  kingdom  enjoyed  unusual  tranquillity 
under  his  sway. 

The  late  King  Duncan  left  two  sons,  and  their 
mother  was  a  sister  of  Siward,  Earl  of  Northumberland. 
The  eldest  son  Malcolm,  with  the  assistance  of 
his  uncle,  collected  an  army  in  1054,  and  marched 
northward  to  attack  Macbeth.  A  battle  ensued 
around  the  hill  fort  of  Dunsinnane,  where  Macbeth 
had  taken  up  his  position,  but  the  action  was  not 
decisive.  The  war  was  carried  beyond  the  river  Dee. 
On  the  15th  of  August,  1057,  Macbeth  was  defeated 
and  slain  at  Lumphanan,  in  Aberdeenshire.  The 
contest  was  continued  by  Lulach,  the  local  chief  of 
Moray,  who  was  killed  in  Strathbogie,  the  following 
spring. 

Thus  Malcolm  III.,  called  Canmore,  obtained  the 
kingdom,  and  mounted  the  throne  in  1058.  He 
attempted  to  extend  his  power  over  Northumberland 
and  Cumberland — districts  which  had  been  the  scene 
of  many  contests  for  centuries,  and  were  not  as  yet 
incorporated  with  England.  One  effect  of  the  Norman 
Conquest  of  England  was  to  drive  a  number  of  the 
Saxon  people  northward  into  Scotland.  In  1067 
Edgar,  the  heir  of  the  Saxon  line  of  kings,  his 
mother  and  his  two  sisters,  came  to  Scotland,  and 
were  welcomed  by  Malcolm.  He  married  Margaret, 
one  of  Edgar's  sisters,  and  hence  became  much 
interested  in  the  claims  of  the  Saxon  prince. 

Malcolm  III.  lent  his  aid  to  the  disaffected  chief  of 
the  north  of  England  ;  and  he  invaded  Northumber- 
land five  times.    In  the  last  of  these,  when  attacking 


24   THE  COUNTRY  TO  END  OF  IITH  CENTURY. 

the  Castle  of  Alnwick,  he  was  slain  along  with  his 
eldest  son  on  the  13th  of  November,  1093  ;  and  thus 
ended  his  reign  of  thirty-five  years.  At  his  death 
Malcolm  left  five  sons — Duncan,  the  eldest  by  his  first 
wife  ;  by  Margaret,  his  second  wife,  Ethelred,  who  was 
lay-abbot  of  Dunkeld,  and  Earl  of  Fife;  Edgar, 
Alexander,  and  David.  But  Donald  Bane,  a  brother 
of  Malcolm  III.,  claimed  the  throne,  and  a  conflict 
arose  between  him  and  Malcolm's  sons. 

On  the  death  of  Malcolm,  Donald  Bane  imme- 
diately took  possession  of  the  kingdom,  and  held  it 
for  six  months,  when  he  was  driven  out  by  Duncan, 
Malcolm's  son.  After  a  reign  of  six  months  Duncan 
was  slain ;  and  Donald  Bane  again  mounted  the 
throne,  and  reigned  three  years  and  a  half.  But  in 
1097,  Malcolm's  eldest  son  by  Margaret,  Edgar,  was 
placed  on  the  throne,  by  the  aid  of  a  Saxon  army  led 
by  his  uncle  ;  and  he  reigned  nine  years  and  five 
months. 

In  the  preceding  pages  I  have  briefly  indicated 
how  the  historic  kingdom  was  gradually  developed 
outward  from  Scone  and  the  banks  of  the  Tay.  It 
was  at  a  later  period  that  Edinburgh  became  the 
centre  of  government ;  it  never  was  the  centre  of  the 
kingdom.  At  the  end  of  the  eleventh  century  the 
Celtic  race  occupied  the  greater  part  of  Scotland. 
There  were  Saxons  in  the  south,  and  along  the 
eastern  coast,  and  in  the  course  of  five  centuries  of 
contact  they  had  partly  commingled  with  the  Celtic 
people,  though  not  so  completely  as  to  sink  their 
own  language  and  customs.  It  was  different  in 
the  west  of  Scotland  and  in  the  Western  Islands 


EARLY  CELTIC  ART. 


25 


where  great  numbers  of  Danes  and  Norwegians 
were  absorbed  by  the  Celtic  race,  and  their  language 
continued  in  these  regions. 

Only  a  brief  reference  to  early  Celtic  art  can  be 
given.  A  few  vestiges  of  primitive  church  building 
still  remain  in  the  Western  Islands.  The  round 
towers  of  Brechin  and  Abernethy  present  an  in- 
teresting type  of  early  architectural  structure.  They 
show  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  round  towers  of 
Ireland.  The  round  tower  of  Brechin  stands  at  the 
south-west  angle  of  the  church,  but  was  originally  sepa- 
rate from  it.  The  chief  characteristic  of  Celtic  art  is  its 
elaborate  and  beautiful  ornamentation.  This  feature 
appears  on  weapons  and  personal  ornaments  and 
other  objects.  The  peculiar  style  of  ornament  occurs 
on  the  early  sculptured  stones  of  Scotland.  This 
class  of  monuments  is  chiefly  found  to  the  north 
of  the  Tay,  and  is  believed  to  belong  to  the  eighth, 
ninth,  and  tenth  centuries. 


IV. 


THE  NATION  IN  THE  TWELFTH  AND  THIRTEENTH 
CENTURIES. 

THE  Norman  conquest  of  England  had  the  effect  of 
forcing  a  number  of  Saxons  into  Scotland,  and  a  little 
later  a  small  number  of  Norman  nobles  frequented 
the  court  of  the  Scotch  kings,  and  received  many 
grants  of  land  by  charter  from  the  Crown.  In  this 
way  legal  feudalism  was  slowly  introduced  and  spread 
over  the  kingdom,  though  it  was  long  and  bitterly 
opposed  in  some  parts  of  the  country.  But  before 
the  end  of  the  thirteenth  century  feudalism  was  esta- 
blished in  the  Lowlands  ;  and  Lowland  Scotch — 
an  English  dialect — was  gradually  encroaching  on  the 
Celtic  tongue.  This  dialect  appeared  in  Lothian  and 
the  south-east  in  the  sixth  century,  and  spread  round 
the  north-east  coasts  as  the  Celtic  language  receded  ; 
and  this  change  of  language  would  have  proceeded  in 
Scotland  though  there  had  been  no  Norman  conquest 
of  England. 

On  the  death  of  King  Edgar  at  Edinburgh  in  1 107 
his  brother,  Alexander  L,  succeeded  to  the  throne  ; 
while  his  younger  brother,  Earl  David,  claimed  the 


THE  KING  AND  THE  CHURCH. 


27 


portion  of  the  kingdom  which  lies  to  the  south  of  the 
Firths  of  Forth  and  Clyde.  This  arrangement  con- 
tinued during  the  reign  of  Alexander  I.  Shortly 
after  his  accession  the  king  had  to  face  a  rising  of  the 
northern  inhabitants,  which  he  boldly  met  and  sup- 
pressed. 


COINS  OF  ALEXANDER  I. 


The  relation  of  the  Crown  and  the  Church  was 
then  closer  than  in  modern  times,  and  one  of  the 
king's  first  acts  was  to  nominate  a  bishop  for  St. 
Andrews.  In  1107  he  appointed  Turgot,  a  monk 
of  Durham,  to  the  see,  and  immediately  the  Arch- 
bishop of  York  claimed  a  right  to  perform  the  cere- 
mony of  consecration,  but  the  king  and  the  Scotch 
clergy  maintained  that  he  had  no  authority  over  St, 


28  THE  NATION  IN  1277/  AND  I3TH  CENTURIES. 

Andrews.  At  last  a  compromise  was  effected,  leaving 
the  disputed  point  unsettled;  and  in  1109  Turgot 
was  consecrated  by  the  Archbishop  of  #  York.  The 
new  bishop  did  not  find  himself  happy  in  the  See 
of  St.  Andrews,  and  he  threatened  to  go  to  Rome 
and  settle  all  difficulties,  but  he  died  in  1 1 1 5. 

The  bishopric  remained  five  years  vacant,  but  in 
1 1 20  the  king  nominated  Eadmer,  a  monk  of  Canter- 
bury, who  was  elected  by  the  Scotch  clergy  and  the 
people.  The  point  of  consecration  was  revived,  but 
this  time  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  claimed  the 
right  to  perform  it.  Eadmer  thought  that  the  rights 
of  his  mother  church  extended  over  all  the  British 
Islands  ;  but  the  king  rejected  this  view,  and  declined 
to  listen  to  it.  The  monk  was  as  determined  as  the 
king,  and  at  last  he  declared,  "  Not  for  all  Scotland 
will  I  renounce  being  a  monk  of  Canterbury."  As  he 
could  not  agree  with  the  king  nor  the  people,  he  left 
St.  Andrews  and  returned  to  his  mother  church.  In 
1 123  Alexander  appointed  the  Prior  of  Scone  to  the 
See  of  St.  Andrews,  but  the  king  died  before  he  was 
consecrated.  In  11 28  the  ceremony  of  consecration 
was  performed  by  the  Archbishop  of  York,  and  there 
was  an  express  condition  which  reserved  the  rights 
of  both  sees.  The  claim  of  feudal  lordship  over  Scot- 
land had  not  yet  arisen,  but  it  is  obvious  that  if  the 
dependence  of  the  Scotch  Church  on  the  English 
Church  could  have  been  established,  it  wTould  have 
affected  the  independence  of  the  kingdom. 

Alexander  I.  died  in  11 24,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  brother,  David  I.  The  kingdom  was  again  placed 
under  one  head,  and  the  era  of  the  introduction  of 


INTRODUCTION  OF  NORMAN  FEUDALISM.  29 


Norman  feudalism  had  commenced.  A  large  part 
of  Scotland  as  yet  hung  loosely  on  the  central 
authority ;  the  country  beyond  the  river  Spey  was 
hardly  under  the  Scottish  Crown,  and  Galloway  was 
rather  a  tributary  than  an  incorporated  part  of  the 
kingdom.  The  local  chiefs  were  naturally  averse  to 
the  planting  of  Norman  nobles  among  them,  though 
these  adventurers  were  favourites  at  the  Court  of 
David  L  During  his  government  of  the  southern 
part  of  the  kingdom  he  had  made  some  progress  in 
introducing  feudalism  by  giving  his  new  followers  and 
favourites  grants  of  land  by  charter,  which  dispossessed 
the  real  owners  of  the  land.  In  11 30  the  people  of 
Moray,  under  their  local  chiefs,  Angus  and  Malcolm, 
rose  against  the  king.  They  advanced  to  Stracathro 
in  Forfarshire,  where  the  king's  forces  met  them. 
Angus  was  slain  and  his  followers  were  overthrown, 
but  his  brother  Malcolm  retreated  and  prolonged  the 
contest  for  four  years.  In  11 34  the  king  in  person 
proceeded  to  the  disaffected  north,  and  with  his  army 
succeeded  in  overawing  the  local  chiefs,  and  then  pro- 
claimed the  province  of  Moray  forfeited  to  the  Crown. 
He  parcelled  out  large  portions  of  the  land  of  Moray 
among  the  Normans  and  adventurers  who  followed 
his  banner. 

In  1 1 35  Henry  I.  of  England  died,  and  bequeathed 
his  dominions  to  his  daughter;  but  Stephen,  a  nephew 
of  the  late  king,  contested  her  right  to  the  throne,  and 
he  proved  successful.  David  I.  naturally  supported 
the  claims  of  his  relative  the  queen,  and  led  an  army 
across  the  border.  Many  of  the  northern  castles  of 
England  opened  their  gates  to  him  ;  when  he  advanced 


30  THE  NATION  IN  I2TH  AND  I3TH  CENTURIES, 

to  Durham,  Stephen  approached  with  a  large  army, 
and  the  two  kings  confronted  each  other  for  fourteen 
days,  and  finally  concluded  a  peace.  But  David  I., 
besides  his  obligation  to  support  the  queen's  claim, 
had  a  strong  desire  to  annex  the  northern  counties 
of  England,  and  some  hope  of  succeeding  to  the 
throne  of  England  himself.  So  early  in  1138  he 
again  led  an  army  across  the  Tweed.  The  defenders 
of  England  mustered  at  Northallerton,  planted  their 
standard,  and  prepared  for  battle.  On  the  Scotch 
side  the  Galloway  men  led  the  attack,  and  rushed 
with  such  force  on  the  enemy  that  the  front  ranks 
reeled  and  were  driven  back  in  confusion.  But  the 
English,  supported  by  their  bowmen,  re-formed,  and 
after  a  severe  contest  the  Scots  were  completely 
defeated  and  many  of  them  slain.  Peace  was  con- 
cluded the  following  year. 

The  remaining  years  of  David's  reign  were  devoted 
to  the  various  reforms  which  he  introduced  into  the 
Church  and  the  government.  He  reorganised  the 
external  polity  of  the  Church,  encouraged  to  the 
utmost  the  settlement  of  a  class  of  Norman  nobles  in 
his  kingdom,  and  endeavoured  to  assist  and  protect 
the  borough  communities. 

In  his  reign  the  Church  of  Scotland  was  brought 
into  accord  with  the  prevailing  form  of  Christendom. 
He  founded  or  reorganised  most  of  the  bishoprics 
and  monasteries,  and  endowed  them  liberally ;  he 
was  the  first  king  in  Scotland  who  enforced  the  pay- 
ment of  tithes.  The  division  of  parishes  and  a 
parochial  organisation  began  to  assume  form.  But 
the  monastic  ideal  cramped  the  development  of  David's 


ED  UCA  TION.     CHA  R  TERS. 


31 


reforms.  The  kings  and  the  nobles  granted  much 
land  to  their  favourite  churches  and  monasteries,  with 
all  the  rights  then  attached  to  it,  and  for  several  gene- 
rations this  tended  to  promote  the  prosperity  of  the 
kingdom,  as  the  monks  were  the  best  agriculturists 
of  the  country. 

All  the  education  of  the  age  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  Church.  The  chancellor  of  each  diocese  was 
entrusted  with  the  supervision  of  the  schools  within 
his  bounds.  At  this  period  there  were  schools  in 
Abernethy,  St.  Andrews,  Berwick,  Perth,  Stirling, 
Ayr,  Aberdeen,  and  other  places.  The  literature 
of  the  learned  and  all  official  documents  were  written 
in  Latin  ;  the  literature  of  the  people  consisted  of 
ballads  and  songs,  traditional  tales  and  legends, 
which  were  orally  learned  and  transmitted  from 
generation  to  generation  with  such  additional  varia- 
tions as  imagination  and  circumstances  suggested 
to  the  national  mind. 

Charters  were  first  granted  to  monasteries  and 
churches  as  title-deeds  of  their  lands.  Then  the 
kings  granted  charters  conveying  lands  to  Nor- 
man and  Saxon  nobles  with  despotic  powers  over 
the  inhabitants  on  these  lands.  From  this  starting- 
point  legal  feudalism  was  gradually  developed  in 
Scotland  into  a  system  unsurpassed  in  any  nation. 
And  from  then  till  now  its  effects  upon  the  people 
have  been  felt,  but  it  was  most  palpably  apparent 
in  the  power  and  lawlessness  of  the  Scotch  nobles, 
and  the  consequent  weakness  of  the  central  govern- 
ment of  the  kingdom. 

As  there  were  rights  of  property  in  land  before  the 


COURT  OF  THE  BOROUGHS. 


33 


era  of  granting  charters,  so  the  inhabitants  of  towns 
had  their  recognised  customary  rights  long  ere  they 
received  royal  charters.  The  earliest  charters  of 
royal  boroughs  always  implied  the  existence  of  a 
community,  and  the  charters  simply  recognised  towns 
which  already  existed.  But  the  Crown  charter  con- 
ferred on  the  citizens  of  the  boroughs  special  rights 
and  privileges  of  trade,  local  organisation,  and  govern- 
ment. Berwick,  Edinburgh,  Perth,  Stirling,  and 
Roxburgh  were  amongst  the  earliest  royal  boroughs, 
but  the  greater  number  of  the  boroughs  received 
charters  from  David  I. 

In  the  twelfth  century  the  boroughs  to  the  north 
of  the  Grampians  were  associated  for  trade  purposes. 
In  the  south  they  had  a  union  called  the  Court  of  the 
Four  Boroughs,  which  included  Edinburgh,  Stirling, 
Berwick,  and  Roxburgh.  The  members  of  this  Court 
exercised  legislative  and  judicial  functions,  and  it  has 
been 'inferred  that  they  framed  the  code  called  the 
Burgh  Laws  which  was  sanctioned  in  the  reign  of 
David  I.  It  is  the  most  complete  of  all  the  early 
fragments  of  our  legislation.  This  union  gradually 
extended,  and  in  1405  delegates  from  all  the  boroughs 
south  of  the  river  Spey  were  ordered  to  assemble 
once  a  year  to  treat  on  their  common  affairs.  Under 
the  name  of  the  Convention  of  Royal  Boroughs  it  still 
exists,  though  most  of  its  powers  have  departed. 

These  trading  communities  continued,  and  struggled 
to  develop  their  organisations,  the  industry  and  the 
commerce  of  the  kingdom.  They  afforded  a  source 
of  revenue  to  the  Crown,  and  the  citizens  were 
generally  loyal  supporters  of  the  throne. 


34  THE  NATION  IN  1ZTH  AND  I^TH  CENTURIES. 

This  was  the  church-building  era  in  Scotland,  and 
and  most  of  the  remarkable  abbeys  and  cathedrals 
were  erected  or  begun  before  the  end  of  the  thirteenth 
century.  Some  of  them  were  a  long  time  in  process 
of  building,  and  exhibit  features  of  various  styles  of 
architecture.  The  Abbey  of  Melrose  shows  these 
varied  characteristics. 

David  I.  died  in  May,  1153,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  grandson,  Malcolm  IV.,  a  boy  of  twelve  years. 
He  was  crowned  at  Scone,  but  shortly  after  there  was 
a  rising  in  Argyle  and  the  west,  and  the  war  continued 
through  the  winter  among  the  mountains.  There 
was  also  great  disaffection  in  Galloway,  and  the  royal 
army  was  repeatedly  repulsed  ;  but  at  last  the  local 
chief,  Fergus,  was  subdued,  and  then  Galloway  was 
placed  in  a  kind  of  feudal  subjection  to  the  Crown. 
Still  the  inhabitants  for  long  after  retained  their  own 
local  laws  and  customs. 

In  1 161  the  people  of  Moray  revolted,  as  they 
resented  the  intrusion  of  foreign  nobles  placed 
amongst  them  by  the  government,  and  the  new  taxes 
thus  imposed  upon  them.  Malcolm  marched  into  the 
province  with  an  army,  and  removed  many  of  the 
people  from  the  land  of  their  birth,  and  placed  them 
in  other  parts  of  the  country  among  the  mountains. 

Malcolm  died  in  December,  1 165,  and  his  brother 
William  the  Lion,  then  mounted  the  throne.  The 
Scotch  kings  had  long  desired  to  annex  the  northern 
counties  of  England,  and  the  disaffection  of  Henry's 
own  children  presented  an  opportunity  to  William. 
But  Northumberland  and  Cumberland  were  then 
naturally  almost  absorbed  into  England.     In  1 173 


WILLIAM  THE  LION  CAPTURED.  35 


William  led  an  army  across  the  border  and  wasted 
the  north  of  England.  The  following  year  he  again 
invaded  England.  When  amusing  himself  he  was 
taken  prisoner  by  a  party  of  English  barons,  and  his 
capture  entailed  serious  disaster  on  Scotland. 

Henry  II.  had  now  a  chance  of  obtaining  the 
feudal  superiority  over  Scotland  which  he  eagerly 
desired.  So  he  demanded  an  unqualified  admission 
of  this,  and  William  gave  it  as  a  ransom  for  his 
personal  freedom ;  and  five  of  the  chief  castles  of 


COINS  OF  WILLIAM  THE  LION. 


Scotland  were  to  be  placed  in  Henry's  hands.  This 
treaty  continued  in  force  for  fifteen  years,  and  to  the 
day  of  his  death  Henry  II.  evinced  a  desire  to  cling 
to  its  fulfilment.  In  11 89,  Richard  I.  ascended  the 
throne,  and  annulled  all  the  concessions  extorted 
from  William  by  Henry ;  the  Scots  paid  to  England 
ten  thousand  marks  of  silver,  and  the  independence 
of  the  kingdom  and  the  castles  were  restored  to 
them. 

Internal  conflicts  in  the  kingdom  continued.  The 


36  THE  NATION  IN  IZTH  AND   l$TH  CENTURIES. 

Norman  settlers  in  Galloway  were  driven  out  and 
slain;  and  in  1 1 75,  the  king  entered  it  with  an 
army  and  subdued  Gilbert,  the  local  chief.  In  11 79 
William  invaded  the  remote  district  of  Ross,  subdued 
it,  and  erected  two  castles  to  support  his  authority. 
From  1 181  to  11 88,  the  districts  of  Moray  and  Caith- 
ness were  in  revolt,  and  the  local  leader,  MacWilliam, 
aspired  to  the  throne  of  Scotland.  In  11 87  the  king 
mustered  all  the  feudal  force  of  the  kingdom  and 
marched  to  Inverness,  with  the  intention  of  pursuing 
his  enemy  into  the  remote  parts  of  the  Highlands. 
William  remained  at  Inverness,  and  a  part  of  his 
army  proceeded  in  search  of  MacWilliam.  They 
encountered  him  in  the  upper  valley  of  Strathspey  ; 
an  engagement  ensued  on  a  moor,  and  MacWilliam 
was  defeated  and  slain.  For  a  time  peace  was 
restored  in  the  north.  But  in  11 96  the  king  was 
again  in  Moray  and  Inverness  extinguishing  a 
rebellion;  and  in  121 1,  he  was  among  the  mountains 
of  Ross  suppressing  a  rising,  which  was  terminated 
two  years  later,  when  its  leader  was  taken  and 
executed. 

William's  reign  was  marked  by  the  progress  of 
feudalism  and  an  increase  of  the  royal  power. 
Charters  had  become  necessary  to  prove  the  rights 
of  property.  He  reigned  nearly  fifty  years,  and 
died  in  12 14  ;  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son, 
Alexander. 

Shortly  after  Alexander  II.  ascended  the  throne, 
he  joined  the  English  barons  against  King  John, 
crossed  the  border,  and  invested  the  castle  of 
Norham.    John  was  extremely  wroth,  and  advanced 


POLICY  OF  THE  KINGS. 


37 


to  the  north  with  a  mingled  host  of  mercenaries. 
Alexander  withdrew,  and  John  followed  him  toward 
Edinburgh,  burning  Roxburgh,  Dunbar,  and  Had- 
dington, in  his  march.  Alexander  encamped  on  the 
river  Esk,  a  few  miles  south  of  Edinburgh  ;  but  John 
was  afraid  to  risk  a  battle,  and  retreated  and  burned 
the  Abbey  of  Coldingham,  and  kindled  with  his  own 
hands  the  house  where  he  slept  the  preceding  night, 
as  the  signal  for  the  burning  of  Berwick. 

The  line  of  the  marches  between  England  and 
Scotland  had  become  pretty  well  marked.  In  1237 
a  definite  arrangement  was  come  to,  and  from 
that  date  the  efforts  to  extend  the  Scotch  frontier 
southward  ceased.  But  in  the  north  and  the  west,  and 
in  Galloway  risings  were  still  frequent.  In  1222,  the 
king  invaded  Argyle,  subdued  it,  and  placed  a 
portion  of  it  under  feudal  subjection  to  the  Crown ; 
but  the  northern  part  of  it  remained  under  the 
Lord  of  Lome.  The  ultimate  aim  of  the  policy  of 
the  kings  was  to  extend  their  authority  to  the  utmost 
limits  of  the  Highlands  and  Islands  ;  and  in  the 
midst  of  an  expedition  with  this  object,  Alexander 
II.  died  in  the  Isle  of  Kerrera,  on  July  8,  1249. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  a  boy  of  eight  years 
of  age,  who  was  immediately  crowned  at  Scone 
under  the  title  of  Alexander  III.  During  his 
minority  the  nobles  entered"  on  the  policy  of  faction 
and  ambition  which  figured  so  darkly  in  the  subse- 
quent history  of  the  kingdom.  The  chief  parties 
were  the  nobles  of  the  north  and  west,  the  most 
potent  of  whom  was  Comyn,  Earl  of  Menteith.  The 
Comyns  were  a  numerous  and  united  group,  and 


H ACQ'S  INVASION. 


39 


many  of  the  old  Scotch  chiefs  adhered  to  them  ;  the 
other  party  were  mostly  connected  with  the  south 
of  Scotland,  and  their  foremost  men  were  Alan 
Durward,  justiciar  of  the  kingdom,  the  Earl  of 
March,  and  the  Steward  of  Scotland.  The  latter 
party  at  every  turn  showed  a  desire  to  forward  the 
interest  of  the  kings  of  England,  in  the  hope  of 
thereby  securing  their  own  hold  upon  the  land  of 
Scotland. 

The  repeated  attacks  of  the  Norsemen  were 
noticed  in  the  preceding  pages.  The  Islands  of 
Orkney  and  Shetland  were  dependencies  of  Norway 
— ruled  by  a  local  chief ;  the  Western  Islands  were 
also  claimed  by  her  ;  and  on  the  mainland,  to  the 
north-west  of  the  Moray  Firth  and  Glenmore,  there 
was  a  region  forming  a  kind  of  debateable  land, 
which  the  kings  of  Scotland  had  been  long  attempting 
to  subdue.  When  Alexander  III.  attained  the  age 
of  twenty-one  he  announced  his  intention  to  subject 
the  Western  Isles,  and  the  war  was  commenced  by 
the  local  chiefs  of  Ross.  But  Haco,  the  king  of 
Norway,  considered  this  pressure  on  the  Western 
Isles  as  an  encroachment  on  his  rights,  and  prepared 
for  war.  In  July,  1263,  he  embarked  for  the  Orkney 
Islands  with  the  most  powerful  armament  that  had 
ever  steered  from  the  ports  of  Norway.  He  plundered 
several  places  in  his  course,  and  the  main  fleet 
anchored  in  the  Firth  of  Clyde  between  the  Island 
of  Arran  and  the  coast  of  Argyleshire.  The  Scots 
proposed  and  obtained  a  truce,  with  the  aim  01 
gaining  time,  and  when  winter  approached  it  was 
ended.    The  elements  of  nature  were  unfavourable 


40  THE  NATION  IN  I2TH  AND  I$TH  CENTURIES. 


to  Haco,  and  a  tempest  arose  and  disabled  his  great 
fleet.  Some  of  his  ships  were  stranded  near  the 
village  of  Largs,  while  the  heights  above  the  shore 
were  crowded  with  the  Scots,  ready  to  attack  the  crews. 
Next  day  Haco  landed  with  a  strong  reinforcement, 
to  bring  off  his  men  from  the  shore,  and  a  sharp 
engagement  ensued.  The  Norwegians  fought  bravely, 


COINS  OF  ALEXANDER  II.  AND  III. 


and  at  last  the  remnant  of  his  stranded  men  gained 
their  ships.  Haco,  in  a  few  days  steered  for  Orkney  ; 
and  on  the  15th  of  December,  1263,  he  died. 

When  the  tidings  of  his  death  reached  the  govern- 
ment of  Scotland,  it  was  immediately  resolved  to 
reduce  the  Western  Islands  to  subjection.  Alex- 
ander III.  sent  an  army  into  the  Isles,  and  the  local 


DEATH  OF  THE  ROYAL  CHILDREN.  41 

chiefs  were  expelled,  slain,  and  hanged ;  and  the 
Earls  of  Mar  and  Buchan,  and  Alan  Durward, 
returned  with  the  spoil  of.  the  Islands.  In  1266  a 
treaty  was  concluded  with  Norway,  which  ceded  to 
Scotland  all  the  islands  off  the  coasts  of  North 
Britain  ;  but  the  Orkney  and  Shetland  Islands 
remained  attached  to  the  Crown  of  Norway  till 
toward  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century. 

The  remaining  years  of  Alexander's  reign  were 
peaceful.  He  had  a  son  and  a  daughter,  both 
married,  and  the  prospects  of  the  nation  were 
exceedingly  bright ;  but  they  both  died  within  a  few 
weeks  of  each  other,  and  left  the  king  childless. 
The  difficulty  was  at  once  seen,  and  a  national 
council  was  immediately  summoned.  It  assembled 
on  the  5th  of  February,  1284,  and  there  were  present 
twelve  earls,  eleven  bishops,  and  twenty-five  barons, 
and  they  bound  themselves  in  the  name  cf  the  nation 
to  support  the  right  of  the  king's  grand-daughter, 
Margaret,  the  Maid  of  Norway,  as  the  heiress  of  the 
Crown  of  Scotland. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  1286,  when  the  king  was 
riding  in  the  night  along  the  coast  of  Fife,  near 
Kinghorn,  he  was  thrown  from  his  horse  and  killed. 
A  sad  and  mournful  end  ;  the  lamentation  was 
universal,  and  all  looked  forward  to  the  future  with 
dismay.  The  last  king  of  the  Celtic  race  slept  with 
his  fathers,  and  the  Crown  of  a  far-descended  line 
fell  to  a  weakly  infant. 

A  meeting  of  the  nobles  and  clergy  was  held  at 
Scone,  on  the  2nd  of  April,  1286,  when  six  guardians 
were  elected  to  govern  the  kingdom.    Several  of  the 


TREATY  WITH  ENGLAND. 


43 


nobles  aspired  to  the  throne,  which  they  considered 
vacant.  Robert  Bruce  entered  into  a  bond  with  a 
number  of  Scotch  and  English  nobles  for  the  purpose 
of  supporting  his  own  claim  to  the  Crown.  It  is 
uncertain  whether  Edward  I.  knew  of  this;  but  he 
had  a  project  of  his  own.  He  had  a  son,  and  if  his 
son  could  be  married  to  the  Maid  of  Norway,  he 
imagined  that  all  would  go  right.  He  therefore 
applied  to  the  Pope  to  sanction  the  marriage  of 
the  two  children  ;  and  a  papal  bull  authorising  it 
was  issued  in  November,  1289.  A  treaty  between 
England  and  Scotland  was  concluded  at  Brigham, 
in  March,  1290,  which  sanctioned  the  marriage  of 
the  royal  children.  In  this  treaty  the  complete 
independence  of  Scotland  was  fully  recognised  and 
strictly  guarded. 

Edward  I.  quickly  equipped  a  ship  to  transport  the 
young  queen  from  Norway.  In  due  time  the  ship 
sailed  from  Norway  with  the  queen  on  board. 
He  despatched  agents  to  Orkney  to  meet  her,  and 
sent  jewels  into  Scotland  to  bedeck  her.  But  the 
child  died  just  before  she  reached  the  Orkney  Islands, 
in  September,  1 290 ;  and  thus  perished  the  hopes 
which  Edward  had  associated  with  his  marriage 
project 


V 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.— WALLACE  AND  BRUCE. 

THE  nation  then  found  itself  without  an  heir  to 
the  throne  in  the  direct  line  of  succession.  The  chief 
nobles  who  aspired  to  the  Crown  were  eagerly  looking 
for  supporters  ;  but  the  king  of  England  had  resolved 
to  decide  the  fate  of  Scotland,  and  the  current  of 
events  seemed  favourable  to  him.  On  the  first 
rumour  of  the  queens  death  the  Bishop  of  St. 
Andrews  sent  a  letter  to  Edward  I.,  suggesting  his 
interference  in  the  affairs  of  Scotland,  and  this  was 
the  only  invitation  that  he  got  to  settle  the  succes- 
sion to  the  Crown.  Indeed,  Edward  I.  had  already 
formed  his  scheme,  chosen  his  own  path,  and  directed 
his  energy  to  its  accomplishment  with  great  delibera- 
tion. 

He  issued  writs  commanding  his  barons  to  attend 
him  at  Norham  on  the  3rd  of  June,  1291  ;  thus  he 
prepared  for  any  emergency  which  might  arise  ;  while 
he  invited  the  Scotch  nobles  and  clergy  to  a  con- 
ference at  Norham  on  the  10th  of  May,  to  which 
they  agreed.  The  conference  was  opened  by  an 
address  from  the  Chief  Justice  of  England,  in  which 
his  lordship  strongly  asserted  that  Edward  I.  was 


EDWARD  I.  CLAIMED  FEUDAL  SUPERIORITY.  45 

the  Overlord  of  Scotland,  and,  therefore,  he  appealed 
to  the  Scots  to  acknowledge  this,  that  the  settlement 
of  the  great  matter  before  them  might  be  facilitated. 
The  Scots  replied  that  they  were  not  aware  if  such 
a  right  of  feudal  superiority  belonged  to  him,  and 
requested  time  to  consult  with  the  absent  nobles  and 
the  community  of  Scotland,  before  giving  an  answer  ; 
and  three  weeks  were  allowed  to  them,  and  then  all 
were  to  reassemble  at  Norham.  A  clear  answer  was 
to  be  given  on  the  question  of  the  superiority  of 
Edward  I.,  and  all  those  opposing  it  were  requested 
to  produce  the  documents  or  other  evidence  on  which 
they  founded  their  objections. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  meeting  assembled  on 
a  green  plain  opposite  the  castle  of  Norham  :  eight 
claimants  for  the  Crown  of  Scotland,  and  many  of 
the  Scotch  nobles  and  clergy  appeared.  The  Bishop 
of  Bath  began  the  business  by  reading  the  king's 
speech,  which,  after  referring  to  the  unhappy  state 
of  Scotland,  proceeded,  in  a  fine  flowing  style,  to 
characterise  the  benignity  of  the  prince  who  had 
come  to  her  rescue.  He  then  said  that  his  master 
had  allowed  three  weeks  to  the  nobles  and  clergy  of 
Scotland  to  bring  forward  whatever  they  could  to 
impugn  King  Edward's  right  of  superiority  over  that 
kingdom,  and  they  had  adduced  nothing  to  invalidate 
it.  But,  in  connection  with  this  emphatic  statement, 
one  important  fact  has  recently  been  brought  to 
light,  for  a  contemporary  record  proves  that  the 
community  of  Scotland  lodged  an  answer  in  writing 
against  Edward's  demand  of  feudal  superiority ; 
although  it  was  not  deemed  relevant  by  Edward, 


46 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


as  it  was  more  convenient  for  him  and  the  claimants 
of  the  Crown  to  ignore  the  people.  Thus,  when  all 
disturbing  questions  were  brushed  aside,  Edward 
announced  that  his  title  of  Lord  Superior  was  un- 
disputed, and  therefore  he  intended  to  act  in  that 
character.  Robert  Bruce  was  asked  whether  he  was 
willing  to  prosecute  his  claim  to  the  Crown  of  Scot- 
land in  the  Court  of  the  Lord  Superior ;  and  Bruce, 
in  the  presence  of  the  meeting,  expressly  recognised 
Edward  as  Lord  Superior,  and  agreed  to  abide  by 
his  decision.  The  same  question  was  put  to  each 
of  the  claimants,  and  they  all  consented,  without 
reserve  to  the  demand  of  Edward,  and  immediately 
sealed  their  consent  by  letters  patent. 

Edward  I.  quickly  followed  up  this  recognition  of 
his  power.  He  exacted  the  oath  of  allegiance  from 
all  the  Scots  at  the  meeting ;  he  commanded  that  all 
the  castles  in  the  kingdom  should  be  surrendered  into 
his  hands  ;  he  reconstituted  the  government  of  the 
country  ;  the  old  seal  of  Scotland  was  broken  into 
four  pieces,  and  a  new  one  made,  more  suited  to  the 
circumstances.  A  herald  then  proclaimed  the  peace 
of  King  Edward,  as  Lord  Paramount  of  the 
Realm. 

He  next  commanded  the  Guardians  of  Scotland 
to  exact  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  him  as  Lord 
Superior  of  the  Kingdom.  Stations  were  fixed 
where  attendance  should  be  given,  and  the  swearing- 
in  process  began  on  the  23rd  of  July,  1291,  and  was 
continued  for  fifteen  days.  Edward  himself  visited 
various  stations,  proceeding  by  Edinburgh,  Stirling, 
Dunfermline,    Kinghorn,    and    St.   Andrews,  and 


ACTION  OF  EDWARD  I. 


47 


called  upon  all  ranks  to  sign  the  rolls  of  homage  as 
the  vassals  of  their  Lord  Superior.  All  who  were 
refractory  were  coerced  by  imprisonment  and  other 
punishments. 

In  1 29 1  eleven  meetings  were  held,  and  at  the  last 
one,  in  August,  Edward  intimated  that  Bruce  and 
Baliol  should  each  select  forty  men  as  commissioners, 
while  he  should  choose  twenty-four  or  more  if  he 
thought  fit,  and  these  men  were  to  meet  in  a  body 
and  consider  the  claims  of  the  candidates  for  the 
Crown.  At  this  meeting  twelve  candidates  appeared 
and  entered  their  claims  ;  and  Edward  requested  the 
commissioners  to  consider  them  all  attentively,  and 
report  to  the  next  meeting,  to  be  held  on  the  2nd 
of  June,  1292.  But  none  of  the  candidates  affected 
the  current  of  history,  except  Bruce  and  Baliol,  and 
to  enter  minutely  into  the  details  of  the  scramble  would 
be  foreign  to  the  aim  of  this  volume. 

When  the  commissioners  reassembled,  the  pro- 
ceedings which  followed  present  the  air  of  an  admir- 
able piece  of  acting.  The  king  first  asked  the  Scotch 
commissioners  to  inform  the  Court  by  what  laws  and 
customs  judgment  should  be  given.  They  answered 
that,  owing  to  difference  of  opinion  among  themselves 
and  the  importance  of  the  cause,  they  were  unable  to 
come  to  a  conclusion  without  deliberation,  and 
therefore  they  sought  the  opinion  of  the  English 
commissioners  ;  but  they  also  declined  to  commit 
themselves  till  enlightened  by  an  English  parliament. 
Edward  then  adjourned  the  meeting  to  the  15th  cf 
October,  1292,  and  declared  that  meanwhile  he  would 
consult  the  learned  all  over  the  world. 


48 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


Many  meetings  were  held  before  the  final  decision 
was  announced.  Bruce  and  Baliol  argued  their  pleas 
at  great  length.  When  it  became  evident  that  Baliol 
would  be  preferred,  Bruce  presented  a  second  claim 
•for  a  part  of  the  kingdom,  and  John  de  Hastings  put 
in  a  similar  one :  these  two  in  turn  pleaded  that  the 
kingdom  ought  to  be  divided  into  three  parts,  and 
insisted  that  Scotland  was  partible  like  any  other 
feudal  fief.  But  the  most  peculiar  feature  of  the 
proceedings  was  the  complete  elimination  of  any 
reference  to  the  people  of  Scotland.  It  seems  never 
to  have  occurred  to  the  grasping  claimants  that  there 
lived  amongst  the  valleys  and  mountains  of  Scotland 
a  strong-willed  race,  habituated  to  independence  and 
freedom,  whose  spirit  must  be  broken  ere  even  the 
decision  of  the  great  Lord-Superior  could  be  of  much 
avail. 

On  the  17th  of  November,  1292,  in  the  castle  of 
Berwick,  Edward,  before  a  large  assemblage,  delivered 
judgment  in  favour  of  Baliol.  The  vassal  king  then 
rendered  homage  to  his  superior,  and  orders  were 
issued  to  invest  him  in  his  fief.  Baliol  proceeded  to 
Scone  to  be  crowned,  with  a  warrant  from  his  Lord- 
Superior  authorising  the  ceremony  which  was  ac- 
cordingly performed  on  the  30th  of  November. 
Shortly  after  he  passed  into  England,  and  there 
concluded  the  last  act  of  the  drama  by  rendering 
homage  to  Edward  I.  as  the  invested  king  of  Scot- 
land. 

When  Baliol  returned  to  his  kingdom  he  found 
himself  among  a  people  little  disposed  to  submit  to 
him  or  his  Lord- Paramount.    If  at  any  moment  he 


BALIOL  PUT  IN  A  HUMILIATING  POSITION.  49 

had  fancied  himself  fortunate  in  acceding  to  the 
throne  of  Scotland  he  was  speedily  and  rudely  dis- 
abused. It  does  not  appear  that  he  was  gifted  with 
much  talent,  but  he  was  thwarted  at  every  turn  as  an 
unwelcome  master.  Indeed  it  was  rumoured  that  the 
poor  man  was  in  terror  of  his  life,  as  he  was  now  far 
away  from  his  great  lord  and  benefactor. 

The  Lord-Superior  soon  had  an  opportunity  of 
exhibiting  his  power ;  and  he  placed  the  vassal  king 
in  a  most  humiliating  position.  It  had  become  known 
that  the  King's  Courts  were  no  longer  supreme,  as  there 
was  a  higher  authority  which,  might  reverse  their 
decisions.  A  citizen  of  Berwick  appealed  to  the  Court 
of  Edward  I.  against  a  judgment  of  the  late  guardians 
of  Scotland  ;  and  it  was  followed  by  another,  touching 
lands  of  the  Earl  of  Fife,  on  which  the  Scotch  Parlia- 
ment had  given  a  decision,  and  Macduff,  the  defeated 
party,  appealed  to  the  Lord-Superior.  Edward  made 
it  a  condition  that  the  king  of  Scotland  must  appear 
as  a  party,  and  he  was  summoned  to  the  Bar  of  the 
House.  Baliol  was  insulted  before  the  English 
Parliament  as  a  contumacious  offender,  who  had 
failed  to  show  due  respect  to  this  august  assembly : 
accordingly  it  was  proposed  to  deprive  him  of  the 
means  of  wrong-doing  by  taking  three  of  the  chief 
castles  of  Scotland  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord- 
Superior,  until  his  vassal,  King  John,  should  render 
proper  satisfaction. 

In  1294,  a  quarrel  arose  between  the  king  of  France 
and  Edward  I.,  and  war  was  declared.  Edward 
summoned  King  John  and  the  Scotch  nobles  to  join 
his  army  ;  but  instead  of  obeying  they  held  a  parlia- 


50 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


ment  and  dismissed  all  the  Englishmen  from  the 
Court ;  and  appointed  a  committee  of  twelve  members 
to  conduct  the  government  of  the  kingdom.  The 
position  of  the  nation  was  rapidly  becoming  perilous. 
In  1295,  a  treaty  with  France  was  concluded,  in  which 
Scotland  and  France  agreed  to  assist  each  other 
against  England.  Shortly  after,  the  Scots  made  two 
inroads  upon  the  northern  counties  of  England.  But 
some  of  the  nobles  had  joined  the  English,  while 
many  others  only  gave  a  wavering  support  to  the 
national  cause.  Thus,  at  the  outset,  the  people  were 
placed  at  a  disadvantage ;  while  Edward  I.  could 
command  a  far  greater  number  of  fighting  men,  and 
he  acted  with  energy  and  decision. 

Edward  determined  to  pounce  upon  Berwick,  then 
the  richest  town  in  Scotland  ;  and  in  the  spring  of 
1296  he  marched  northward  with  a  well-equipped 
army.  The  citizens  naturally  resisted  his  attack,  but 
they  were  soon  overpowered,  indiscriminately  put  to 
the  sword,  and  eight  thousand  of  the-  inhabitants 
ruthlessly  massacred.  The  town  was  utterly  ruined. 
Baliol  now  renounced  his  allegiance  to  Edward  I.,  and 
declared  war  against  him  ;  but  he  had  little  energy, 
and  he  was  placed  in  trying  circumstances,  so  no 
effective  resistance  was  offered  to  the  invader  at  any 
point. 

From  Berwick  Edward  and  his  army  proceeded 
toward  Dunbar,  where  a  straggling  Scotch  force  was 
met  and  dispersed.  The  castles  of  Dunbar,  Jedburgh, 
Roxburgh,  and  others  in  the  line  of  his  march,  were 
surrendered  to  him.  He  reached  Edinburgh  on  the 
6th  of  June,  attacked  the  castle,  and  shortly  took  it. 


EDWARD'S  INVASION. 


He  continued  his  triumphal  progress  to  Linlithgow 
and  Stirling,  crossed  the  Forth  unopposed,  and,  pro- 
ceeding by  Perth,  passed  the  Tay,  and  entered 
Forfarshire.  At  the  castle  of  Brechin  on  the  ioth  of 
July,  1296,  the  vassal  King  John  came  to  his  lord  like 
a  criminal  suing  for  mercy,  and  submitted  to  Edward's 
pleasure.  Then  the  documents  considered  necessary 
to  degrade  and  dispossess  him  were  drawn  up  and 
signed,  and  Baliol  and  his  son  were  sent  into  England 
prisoners.  Edward  advanced  northward  by  Aberdeen, 
till  he  reached  Elgin  ;  thence  he  returned  by  a  higher 
route,  calling  at  Rothes,  Kildrummy  Castle,  and  on  to 
Brechin.  When  returning  south  he  took  away  the 
Coronation  Stone  from  Scone — the  venerated  Stone 
Df  Destiny — as  he  was  extremely  anxious  to  efface 
every  vestige  of  the  national  and  patriotic  feeling  of 
the  Scots.  He  adopted  measures  for  the  government 
of  the  kingdom  ;  and  having  settled  everything,  he 
proceeded  home  with  the  Stone  of  Destiny  as  a 
memorial  of  his  Conquest  of  Scotland  and  a  suitable 
offering  to  Edward  the  Confessor. 

The  seemingly  complete  depression  of  the  Scots 
under  the  heel  of  the  invader  was  the  result  of  easily- 
understood  circumstances,  which  have  already  been 
indicated.  Thus  Edward  I.  obtained  a  footing  in  the 
kingdom  through  the  disputed  succession  ;  while  many 
of  the  nobles  who  should  have  come  to  the  front  at 
this  crisis  as  the  natural  leaders  of  the  people,  had 
joined  the  enemy,  and  left  them  helpless  and  forlorn. 
But  the  native  race  of  Scotland  keenly  felt  their 
position,  and  the  demeanour  of  the  English  soldiers 
aroused  their  ire,  hatred  sprung  up  between  them,  and 


52 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


bitter  strife  reigned  in  the  land.  At  this  perilous 
moment  a  hero  arose  to  fight  the  battle  of  suffering, 
freedom,  and  national  independence. 

Wallace  belonged  to  the  lower  class  of  the  Scotch 
nobles,  one  of  those  who  had  never  sworn  allegiance 
to  Edward  I.  In  his  early  years  he  was  under  the 
care  of  his  uncle,  an  ecclesiastic  in  Stirlingshire,  from 
whom  he  received  the  rudiments  of  a  classical  training  ; 
afterward  he  attended  a  school  in  Dundee  for  two 
years.  He  was  gifted  with  rare  mental  faculties,  tall 
in  stature,  and  a  commanding  presence;  he  was  a 
military  genius,  with  a  remarkable  force  of  moral 
character.  He  soon  kindled  in  the  heart  of  the 
nation  an  unquenchable  spirit  of  resistance  to  op- 
pression. 

He  began  his  public  career  by  attacking  outlying 
parties  of  the  English,  and  his  followers  increased  with 
his  success.  At  length  he  ventured  to  assail  the 
English  Justiciar  in  his  court  at  Scone  :  the  Justiciar 
escaped  with  difficulty,  and  a  rich  booty  and  some 
prisoners  fell  into  Wallace's  hands.  In  a  short  time 
Edward's  new  arrangements  were  thrown  into  utter 
confusion.  But  when  he  was  told  of  the  rising  in 
Scotland  he  could  not  believe  it,  because  so  many  of 
the  Scotch  nobles  were  with  himself  or  in  prison  :  he 
never  even  imagined  that  the  Scots  might  attempt 
to  act  without  nobles,  and  this  lack  of  foresight  to 
estimate  the  spirit  of  resistance  among  the  people 
proved  to  be  the  missing  link  in  Edward's  scheme  of 
conquest.  Bishop  Beck  was  sent  to  Scotland  to 
extinguish  the  rising;  but  he  soon  had  to  beat  a 
retreat  and  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life. 


BATTLE  OF  STIRLING  BRIDGE. 


53 


When  Beck  returned,  Edward  commanded  the 
whole  military  force  north  of  the  Trent  to  muster 
and  crush  the  rebellion.  An  army  of  40,000  men 
entered  Scotland,  under  Henry  Percy,  and  marched 
through  Annandale  and  on  to  Irvine,  where  Robert 
Bruce  and  other  nobles  were  lying  in  arms.  As  usual 
they  wrere  wavering  and  undecided,  and  without 
striking  a  single  blow  they  concluded  a  treaty  with 
the  English  at  Irvine  on  the  9th  of  July,  1297. 

A  copy  of  this  treaty  was  sent  to  Wallace,  who  was 
then  in  the  north  organising  an  army  in  conjunction 
with  Andrew  Moray  of  Bothwell,  and  they  disregarded 
it.  Andrew  Moray  was  working  hard  in  the  district 
of  Strathspey  enlisting  men  and  instructing  them. 
Wallace  was  working  vigorously  in  the  counties  north 
of  the  Tay,  where  he  soon  organised  an  army.  He 
then  attacked  the  castles,  and  many  of  them  soon 
fell  into  his  hands.  He  had  just  begun  the  siege  of 
the  castle  of  Dundee  when  tidings  came  that  the 
English  army  was  marching  on  Stirling.  Wallace  at 
once  saw  his  opportunity,  ordered  the  citizens  to  con- 
tinue the  siege,  and  hurried  off  with  his  army  to  guard 
the  passage  of  the  Forth. 

Wallace  posted  his  men  on  the  rising  ground  which 
commanded  the  bridge  of  Stirling.  The  English 
army,  50,000  strong,  lay  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
riv^r.  When  the  English  general  saw  the  position  of 
his  enemy  he  tried  to  temporise,  and  sent  forward 
messengers  of  peace  ;  but  Wallace  knew  well  the 
advantages  of  his  position,  and  told  them  that  he  had 
resolved  on  battle — "  to  set  his  country  free."  On  the 
nth  of  September  the  enemy  began  to  pass  over  the 


54 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


narrow  bridge,  when  one  half  of  the  army  had  crossed 
it ;  Wallace,  by  a  preconcerted  movement,  attacked 
the  English  in  the  rear,  and  intercepted  between  them 
and  the  bridge.  When  this  was  executed,  the  main 
body  of  the  Scots  instantly  rushed  down  and  assailed 
the  forming  lines  of  the  English,  and  threw  them  into 
confusion  ;  a  panic  seized  the  whole  army,  and  a 


THE  OLD  BRIDGE  OF  STIRLING. 


headlong  rout  ensued.  Many  were  drowned  in  the 
river  and  slain  in  the  flight. 

This  battle  had  the  effect  of  clearing  the  country  of 
the  enemy,  and  all  the  strongholds  were  recovered. 
Wallace  was  anxious  to  promote  peaceful  industry. 
A  document,  dated  the  nth  of  October,  1297,  was 
despatched  to  Lubeck  and  Hamburgh  in  the  names  of 


BATTLE  OF  FALKIRK. 


55 


Andrew  Moray  and  William  Wallace — generals  of  the 
army  of  the  kingdom  and  community  of  Scotland  ; 
they  thanked  the  friends  of  the  country  for  their 
services  which  the  state  of  the  kingdom  had  prevented 
the  due  acknowledgment,  and  informed  them  that 
commerce  with  the  ports  of  Scotland  would  now  be 
restored  :  "  As  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  thanks  be  to 
God,  has  been  delivered  by  battle  from  the  power  of 
the  English." 

In  the  end  of  this  year  Wallace  was  chosen 
guardian  of  the  kingdom  and  leader  of  its  armies,  in 
name  of  King  John.  Although  his  abilities  and 
energy  were  undoubted,  still  there  was  little  hope  for 
the  nation,  because  the  state  of  society  rendered  his 
success  almost  impossible.  With  the  king  banished 
and  many  of  the  nobles  directly  opposing  him,  and 
others  lurking  out  of  the  way,  the  feudal  system  of 
defence  could  not  be  effectively  worked,  as  Wallace 
could  not  change  the  organisation  of  society  in  a  day. 

When  Edward  I.  entered  Scotland  in  June,  1298, 
with  an  army  of  80,000  men,  Wallace  could  not  face 
it  in  the  field.  So  he  drove  off  everything  which 
could  be  removed,  and  left  the  country  behind  him 
waste  ;  in  this  way  he  hoped  to  starve  and  weary  out 
the  enemy.  For  a  time  he  seemed  likely  to  succeed  ; 
the  English  were  beginning  to  suffer  severely.  At 
last,  through  treachery,  Wallace  was  forced  to  give 
battle  near  Falkirk.  And,  notwithstanding  the  original 
skill  and  generalship  which  he  showed  in  the  disposal 
of  his  troops  on  this  memorable  occasion,  the  dis- 
parity of  numbers  in  the  opposing  armies  were  too 
great,  and  his  small  army  sustained  a  crushing  defeat. 


56 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


But  Wallace  retreated  with  the  remnant  of  his  force  ; 
and  Edward's  victory  was  fruitless,  as  he  was  com- 
pelled to  drag  his  starving  host  back  to  England. 

Soon  after  the  battle  Wallace  resigned  the  govern- 
ment of  Scotland  ;  and  from  this  time  we  hear  little 
more  of  him,  although  he  was  in  various  ways 
striving  to  serve  his  country  up  to  the  hour  of  his 
apprehension  ;  he  went  to  France  in  connection  with 
the  affairs  of  Scotland.  John  Comyn  of  Badenoch 
and  John  de  Foulis  were  elected  guardians  of  the 
kingdom.  Edward  I.  was  then  much  embarrassed 
by  the  demands  of  his  barons  touching  the  great 
Charter  ;  but  he  was  still  straining  every  nerve  to 
crush  Scotland.  In  1300,  he  invaded  the  country 
with  a  great  army,  and  took  several  castles  ;  but  after 
a  campaign  of  five  months  he  returned  home  without 
achieving  any  important  success.  In  the  spring  of 
the  following  year  he  again  invaded  the  kingdom  at 
the  head  of  a  large  army ;  but  the  Scots  retired  and 
avoided  a  battle,  and  he  did  not  venture  to  cross  the 
Forth.  He  then  held  most  of  the  country  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Forth  ;  the  Scots  had  retained  the 
northern  division  of  the  kingdom  since  the  battle  of 
Stirling  Bridge;  and  in  1302  they  were  gaining 
ground  on  the  south  of  the  Forth. 

When  Edward  I.  was  freed  of  his  difficulties  at 
home  and  abroad,  in  the  spring  of  1303,  he  led  an 
army  into  Scotland  with  the  determination  to  reduce 
it  to  subjection  or  render  it  a  desert.  The  Scots  were 
unable  to  offer  effective  resistance  to  this  overwhelm- 
ing force.  So  the  invader  proceeded  through  the 
kingdom  till  he  reached  Caithness  ;  thence  he  re- 


GOVERNMENT  SURRENDERED. 


57 


turned  south  and  established  his  head-quarters  at  Dun- 
fermline, and  remained  there  through  the  winter.  The 
government  and  officials  of  the  kingdom  surrendered 
to  him  in  the  winter  of  1 304.  The  terms  granted  to 
Comyn  and  the  chiefs  who  then  surrendered  were, 
that  they  should  retain  their  titles  and  estates  subject 
to  a  nominal  punishment — merely  to  show  that  they 
were  rebels  received  to  mercy.     After  a  long  and 


STIRLING  CASTLE. 


heroic  defence  the  castle  of  Stirling  surrendered  on 
the  24th  of  July,  and  the  garrison  which  numbered 
140  men,  were  despatched  to  England  prisoners. 

Touching  William  Wallace,  Edward  determined 
that  he  must  surrender  unconditionally.  Comyn  and 
the  nobles  who  adhered  to  him  interceded  for 
Wallace  ;  there  is  evidence  that  Edward  was  pressed 
to  offer  terms  to  him,  but  he  declined  to  listen  to  any 
suggestion  of  the  kind.     Edward  I.  at  Stirling  openly 


EXECUTION  OF  WALLACE. 


59 


promised  special  favours  to  any  of  the  pardoned 
rebels  who  should  exert  themselves  to  capture 
Wallace ;  thus  he  hunted  the  man  who  had  never 
sworn  oaths  of  allegiance  to  him  to  break  them  again 
like  many  others  whom  he  had  often  pardoned. 
What,  then,  was  the  offence  which  Wallace  had 
committed  ?  Simply  this,  he  had  openly  stood  up 
and  fought  against  the  invader  for  the  liberty  and 
independence  of  the  home  of  his  fathers. 

Wallace  was  found  in  Glasgow,  put  in  fetters,  and 
conveyed  to  London.  Tried  for  treason,  which  he 
never  committed,  condemned,  tortured,  and  executed 
with  all  the  cruelties  of  the  Norman  law,  in  1305,  the 
details  of  which  shall  not  pollute  the  pages  of  this 
volume.  But  it  is  certain  that  his  unjust  and  cruel 
death  did  not  advance  the  end  which  it  was  intended 
to  serve.  For  the  story  of  the  heroic  action  and 
deeds  of  Wallace  was  embalmed  in  the  heart  of  the 
Scottish  people,  and  his  memory  was  venerated  till  it 
became  the  very  idol  of  the  nation.  In  the  later  part 
of  the  fifteenth  century  blind  Henry  the  Minstrel,  in 
his  rhymed  book  of  Wallace,  embodied  the  current 
notions  and  sentiments  of  the  people  touching  their 
greatest  hero :  and  for  three  centuries  it  had  an 
unexampled  popularity  amongst  the  Scots.  Many 
of  our  later  poets  have  paid  homage  to  Wallace,  and 
a  few  lines  from  a  living  poet  of  the  people  may  be 
quoted  : — 

"  Hail  to  thee,  mighty  Wallace  !  so  grand  is  thy  fame, 
That  the  lapse  of  six  centuries  but  brightens  thy  name ; 
And  when  cycles  and  cycles  of  time  may  have  fled, 
They'd  but  heighten  the  glory  enwreathing  thy  head. 


60  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 

When  legions  of  foemen,  like  dire  inundations* 

Strove  to  blot  Scotland's  name  from  the  roll  of  the  nations. 

Then  did'st  thou  arise,  as  the  tower  of  her  might, 

To  rally  her  sons  and  to  lead  them  to  fight — 

And  vowed  to  the  Powers  that  are  sacred  on  high, 

For  Scotland  to  conquer,  or  for  her  to  die." 

After  twelve  years  of  incessant  craft  and  bloodshed, 
closing  with  the  execution  of  Wallace,  Edward  L 
fancied  that  his  conquest  of  Scotland  was  complete. 
But  a  worthy  successor  to  Wallace  immediately 
appeared  upon  the  scene,  and  the  shattered  king  lived 
to  see  it  all  passing  from  his  grasp. 

The  Scotch  clergy  had  given  Edward  I.  much 
trouble.  Bishop  Lamberton  of  St.  Andrews  and 
Bishop  Wishart  of  Glasgow  had  repeatedly  sworn 
allegiance  to  him,  and  had  broken  it  and  joined 
Wallace  and  the  national  party.  In  1304  Robert 
Bruce  and  Bishop  Lamberton  entered  into  a  bond,  in 
which  they  agreed  to  consult  together  and  aid  each 
other,  and  at  all  times  assist  their  friends  against  their 
opponents.  The  existence  of  this  document  became 
known  to  Edward  I.,  and  Bruce,  when  attending  the 
English  Court,  was  questioned  concerning  it  ;  he  at 
once  saw  that  his  life  was  in  peril,  and  one  morning 
he  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  swiftly  to  Scotland. 

Bruce  arrived  at  Dumfries  in  February,  1306,  when 
the  English  judges  were  holding  their  courts  ;  and  he 
halted  there  to  attend  to  his  duties  as  a  freeholder  of 
the  county,  and  Comyn  was  present  on  similar 
duties.  Bruce  and  Comyn  entered  the  Gray  Friars 
convent  to  have  a  private  interview,  and  their  conver- 
sation waxed  warm.  Bruce  referred  to  the  miserable 
state  of  Scotland,  once  an  independent  kingdom,  and 


BRUCE  AND  COMYN. 


6l 


now  nothing  but  a  province  of  England.  He  then 
proposed  that  Comyn  should  take  his  lands  and  help 
him  to  be  king  ;  or  if  he  preferred  it,  Bruce  was  to 
take  his  lands  and  assist  him  to  be  king.  Comyn 
demurred,  and  professed  loyalty  to  King  Edward. 
Bruce  charged  him  with  betraying  important  secrets 
of  his  ;  their  talk  became  bitter  and  hot  ;  and  Bruce 
drew  his  dagger  and  stabbed  Comyn.  He  turned 
from  the  convent  and  rushed  into  the  street  shouting 
for  a  horse  !  his  friends  asked  if  anything  was  amiss. 
"  I  doubt,"  said  Bruce,  "  I  have  slain  Comyn."  In- 
stantly Kirkpatrick,  one  of  his  followers,  ran  into  the 
convent  and  slew  the  wounded  man  outright,  and  also 
killed  his  uncle,  Sir  Robert  Comyn. 

Probably  the  murder  of  Comyn  was  unpremeditated. 
Still  it  removed  the  only  competitor  for  the  throne  of 
Scotland  whom  Bruce  had  reason  to  fear.  Bruce  was 
a  grandson  of  the  man  who  fought  out  the  contest  in 
Edward's  Court  with  the  deposed  Baliol.  His  own 
father  died  in  1304,  and  he  then  succeeded  to  the  large 
family  estates  in  England  and  in  Scotland.  He  was 
a  young  man,  little  over  thirty  years,  and  hitherto  had 
shown  a  rather  vacillating  character.  He  had  always 
looked  forward  to  the  crown  of  Scotland  ;  but  Comyn 
at  the  time  of  his  murder  had  a  preferable  claim 
to  it  There  was  also  a  tradition  that  Comyn  was 
descended  from  Donald  Bane,  a  brother  of  Malcolm 
III.,  which  would  have  given  him  a  great  advantage 
among  the  people  in  any  struggle  between  the  two  for 
the  throne  of  Scotland.  But  Bruce  had  rashly  com- 
mitted himself,  and  could  not  recede  ;  he  had  assassi- 
nated the  highest  noble  in  the  kingdom,  stained  the 


62 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


altar  with  blood,  brought  down  on  his  own  head  all 
the  terrors  of  religion,  and  the  enmity  of  the  kin  and 
followers  of  the  departed  earl. 

Immediately  after  the  tragic  deeds,  Bruce  drove  the 
English  judges  out  of  Dumfries  and  across  the  border. 
The  news  soon  spread,  the  people  assumed  a  threaten- 
ing attitude,  and  many  of  Edward's  officials  fled  from 
the  kingdom.  Bruce  resolved  on  a  bold  step  and 
mounted  the  throne,  and  was  crowned  at  Scone  on 
the  27th  of  March,  1306;  but  his  followers  as  yet 
were  few. 

When  Edward  I.  heard  of  these  events  in  Scotland 
he  was  extremely  wrath,  and  threatened  dire  ven- 
geance. Orders  with  a  sharp  ring  were  issued.  It 
was  proclaimed  in  all  the  cities  and  towns  of  Scotland, 
that  all  those  in  arms  against  the  king  should  be 
pursued  by  hue  and  cry,  from  city  to  city,  from  county 
to  county,  from  place  to  place,  and  taken  dead  or  alive. 
All  persons  taken  in  arms  against  Edward  I.  were  to 
be  hanged  and  beheaded  ;  and  all  in  any  way  con- 
nected with  the  murder  of  Comyn  were  to  be  drawn 
and  quartered.  The  implacable  rage  of  Edward  runs 
through  all  the  royal  proclamations.  Another  great 
invasion  of  Scotland  was  resolved  on,  and  the  advance 
army  under  Pembroke  reached  the  doomed  country 
in  the  spring  of  1 306.  Edward  I.  braced  up  all  his 
remaining  energy,  and  once  more  moved  northward, 
but  his  frailty  rendered  his  progress  very  slow. 

Bruce  and  his  party  found  that  they  could  not  face 
the  English  army.  But  he  imprudently  allowed  the 
enemy  to  approach  his  small  party ;  and  it  was 
attacked  at  Methven  on  the  19th  of  June,  1306,  and 


BRUCE  IN  EXTREMITIES. 


63 


utterly  defeated.  Bruce  himself  narrowly  escaped, 
while  many  of  his  followers  were  taken  and  hanged 
and  quartered.  Many  Scotsmen  were  tortured  and 
executed  with  all  the  cruel  formalities  of  the  Norman 
law  of  treason. 

The  desperate  nature  of  the  enterprise  now  ap- 
peared. Bruce  and  his  friends  soon  began  to  feel 
the  extreme  miseries  of  their  position.  They  were 
pursued  as  outlaws,  and  forced  to  betake  themselves 
to  the  rocks  and  mountains,  while  his  supporters  all 
over  the  kingdom  were  hunted,  captured,  and  doomed 
to  destruction.  Bruce  himself  had  great  difficulty 
in  keeping  out  of  the  clutches  of  the  emissaries  of 
Edward,  and  the  Comyns  pursued  him  with  the 
inflamed  and  bitter  feeling  of  revenge.  For  a  time 
he  became  a  simple  fugitive,  and  endured  many 
privations ;  but  he  had  the  genuine  mettle  in  his 
constitution,  and  the  hard  training  which  he  was 
compelled  to  undergo,  ultimately  developed  a  man  of 
rare  ability  and  character. 

In  the  end  of  the  year  1306,  Bruce,  with  a  few  of 
his  friends  passed  over  to  the  small  island  of  Rachin 
on  the  northern  coast  of  Ireland,  and  remained  there 
during  the  winter.  He  returned  to  the  mainland 
of  Scotland  in  the  spring  of  1307.  He  had  now 
gained  some  experience  ;  and  on  the  10th  of  May,  in 
a  well-chosen  position  at  Loudon  Hill,  in  Ayrshire,  he 
gave  battle  to  the  Earl  of  Pembroke.  Bruce  posted 
his  six  hundred  spearmen,  and  coolly  awaited  the 
attack  of  the  English  cavalry.  They  advanced  and 
charged,  but  the  spearmen  stood  firm,  the  cavalry 
reeled  and  broke  ;  the  earl  was  totally  defeated,  and 


ROBERT  BRUCE. 
(From  the  picture  at  Taymouth  by  Jamieson.) 


BRUCE  GAINING  GROUND. 


65 


retreated  to  the  castle  of  Ayr.  Bruce's  followers  now 
began  to  have  confidence  in  him,  and  from  this  time 
he  gradually  gained  ground. 

Edward  I.  by  short  stages  had  advanced  within 
sight  of  Scotland,  but  the  hand  of  the  grim  enemy 
was  upon  him,  and  on  the  7th  of  July,  1307,  he 
expired.  Edward  II.,  who  succeeded,  was  weak  and 
incapable  as  compared  with  his  father  ;  and  Scotland 
slipped  out  of  his  hands.  He  advanced  to  the  out- 
skirts of  Ayrshire,  and  without  effecting  anything  of 
importance,  he  returned  home.  Bruce  was  slowly 
gaining  ground,  and  step  by  step  retaking  the 
kingdom.  In  1 309,  the  Scotch  clergy  proclaimed 
their  adherence  to  Bruce,  which  was  a  great  accession 
of  strength  to  his  cause,  as  he  was  under  the  ban  of 
the  Pope  for  the  murder  of  Comyn.  The  English 
were  driven  out  of  the  castles  one  by  one,  and  Bruce 
immediately  demolished  the  most  of  them,  to  prevent 
the  enemy  from  again  seizing  them. 

In  the  autumn  of  13 10,  Edward  II.  entered  Scot- 
land with  a  great  host,  but  Bruce  avoided  a  battle. 
After  driving  off  their  cattle  and  sheep  into  the 
narrow  glens,  the  Scots  retired  to  the  woods  and 
mountains ;  while  the  invading  army  advanced  to 
Renfrew,  looking  intently  for  an  enemy  to  conquer, 
but  in  vain  The  English  began  to  suffer  for  want  of 
food,  and  without  doing  anything  of  the  slightest 
moment,  the  army  retreated  to  Berwick.  Several 
subsequent  expeditions  came  to  a  similar  end.  In 
the  summer  of  131 1,  the  Scots  invaded  the  northern 
counties  of  England,  and  levied  money,  and  plundered 
the  country. 


66 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


At  last  all  the  castles  had  surrendered  to  Bruce 
save  Stirling,  and  in  13 13,  it  was  besieged  by  Edward 
Bruce.  The  English  governor  of  the  castle  agreed  to 
surrender  it,  unless  it  should  be  relieved  before  the 
24th  of  June,  1 3 14.  As  it  wTas  the  most  important 
stronghold  in  the  kingdom,  if  England  was  to  retain 
a  hold  of  Scotland,  she  must  relieve  it.  So  another 
invasion  was  resolved  on,  and  vast  preparations  were 
made  for  a  great  display  of  force.  The  feudal  array 
of  England  was  called  out,  and  levies  drawn  from 
Wales  and  Ireland.  Edward  II.  entered  Scotland  at 
the  head  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped  army  that  had 
ever  marched  from  England  ;  it  numbered  one  hundred 
thousand  fighting  men,  one  half  of  them  cavalry,  who 
were  then  considered  the  chief  arm  of  strength. 

The  Scots  made  a  supreme  effort.  Bruce  ordered  his 
force  to  meet  in  the  Torwood,  near  Stirling,  and  found 
that  he  could  only  muster  thirty  thousand  men,  and 
five  hundred  cavalry.  He  prepared  to  guard  and  streng- 
then his  position  to  the  utmost,  and  to  fight  on  foot. 
After  a  careful  examination  of  the  ground,  he  resolved 
to  dispose  his  army  in  four  divisions  :  three  of  them 
forming  a  front  line  inclining  to  the  south-east,  facing 
the  advance  of  the  enemy  ;  the  fourth  division  being 
held  in  reserve  and  placed  behind  the  centre,  under 
the  command  of  the  king  himself.  The  formation  of 
the  Scotch  spearmen  was  a  series  of  solid  circles  so 
inclined  in  front  as  most  effectively  to  resist  the  shock 
of  cavalry  charges.  The  right  flank  of  his  line  was 
well  protected  by  the  rugged  ground  and  by  the  broken 
banks  of  the  Bannockburn  ;  while  his  left  wing  was 
admirably  secured  by  pits  and  trenches,  which  effec- 


BAAAOCKBURN. 


67 


tively  limited  the  space  for  the  movements  of  the 
enemy's  cavalry. 

On  the  23rd  of  June,  13 14,  the  enemy  appeared, 
and  attempted  to  throw  a  body  of  cavalry  into  the 
the  castle  of  Stirling,  but  they  were  repulsed  by 
Randolph,  the  Earl  of  Moray.  The  Scots  made 
all  the  necessary  arrangements  for  the  battle,  and 
passed  the  night  under  arms  on  the  field.  At  day- 
break the  Abbot  of  Inchaffary  celebrated  mass  on 
an  eminence  in  front  of  the  army.  He  then  passed 
along  the  line,  and  in  a  few  words  exhorted  the  Scots 
to  fight  for  their  rights  and  liberty.  The  soldiers 
breakfasted,  and  placed  themselves  under  their 
different  banners  in  battle  array. 

The  English  began  the  battle  by  the  advance  of  a 
body  of  lancers  and  archers  under  the  command  of 
the  Earls  of  Hereford  and  Gloucester.  The  lancers 
charged  at  full  gallop  on  the  right  wing  of  the  Scots, 
commanded  by  Edward  Bruce  ;  but  the  spearmen 
firmly  withstood  the  impetuous  onset  of  the  enemy. 
The  main  body  of  the  enemy  advanced  and  charged 
the  centre,  which  was  under  the  Earl  of  Moray. 
For  a  moment  his  division  appeared  to  be  engulphed 
amid  the  seething  mass  of  the  English  ;  and  the  whole 
Scottish  line  was  soon  assailed  and  wrestling  in  a 
hand-to-hand  combat  with  the  enemy.  The  battle 
raged  with  the  utmost  fury.  The  English  attempted 
by  desperate  charges,  many  times  repeated,  to  break 
through  the  Scottish  spearmen,  but  in  vain.  At  this 
all-important  hour  they  thought  of  the  home  of  their 
fathers  and  their  own  native  hearths  ;  and  remember- 
ing too  the  many  grinding  injuries,  galling  outrages, 


68 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


stinging  insults,  cruel  and  unmitigated  suffering 
inflicted  upon  them  during  long  years  of  dire  oppres- 
sion, they  repelled  every  attack  with  steady  valour 
and  slew  heaps  upon  heaps  of  their  assailants. 

The  English  bowmen  were  galling  the  ranks  of  the 
Scotch  spearmen.  Bruce  sent  Sir  Robert  Keith  with 
five  hundred  cavalry  round  the  Milton  Bog  to  charge 
the  left  flank  of  the  archers,  who,  having  no  weapons 
to  defend  themselves  at  close  quarters,  were 
instantly  broken  and  scattered  in  all  directions. 
In  front  the  battle  continued  to  rage  with  unabated 
fury,  but  with  obvious  disadvantage  to  the  English. 

Seeing  the  enemy  flagging,  Bruce  encouraged  his 
leaders  to  strive  on,  and  assured  them  that  the  victory 
would  soon  be  won.  He  then  brought  up  the  reserve, 
and  all  the  divisions  of  his  army  were  engaged.  The 
English  fought  bravely,  making  many,  but  unavailing, 
attempts  to  pierce  through  the  front  of  the  spearmen, 
and  at  every  successive  charge  losing  more  men  and 
horses,  and  falling  into  greater  confusion.  Then  were 
heard  afar  the  clashing  and  crashing  of  armour  ;  the 
whizzing  flight  of  arrows  through  the  air  ;  the  com- 
mingled shouting  of  the  war  cries  ;  and  withal,  the 
agonising  moans  and  groans  of  the  wounded  and 
dying.  Masterless  horses  were  madly  running  hither 
and  thither,  heedless  of  friend  or  foe.  The  ground 
was  streaming  with  blood,  and  strewn  with  shreds 
of  armour,  broken  spears,  arrows,  and  pennons,  rich 
scarfs  and  armorial  bearings  torn  and  soiled  with 
blood  and  clay. 

The  Scots  continued  to  gain  ground,  and  pressed 
with  fresh  energy  upon  the  confused   and  totter- 


BANNOCK  BURN. 


69 


ing  mass  of  the  enemy,  rending  the  air  with  shouts 
of  "  On  them  !  on  them  !  they  fall !  "  The  Eng- 
lish gave  way  slowly  along  the  whole  line.  Bruce 
perceived  this,  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
reserve,  and  raising  his  war-cry  pressed  on  with 
redoubled  fury  on  the  falling  ranks  of  the  enemy. 
This  onset,  well  seconded  by  the  other  divisions, 
decided  the  fate  of  the  day.  The  English  broke  into 
disjointed  squadrons  and  began  to  quit  the  field.  In 
spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  their  leaders  to  rally  them 
and  restore  order,  they  dispersed  and  fled  headlong  in 
all  directions.  King  Edward  stood  gazing  intently 
upon  the  scene  around  him,  and  remained  on  the  fatal 
field  till  all  was  lost,  and  at  last  fled  in  utter  bewilder- 
ment. The  struggle  was  over,  the  enemy  in  flight,  and 
the  victory  complete.  Glory  to  the  heroes  who  fought, 
and  bled,  and  fell  on  Bannockburn  ;  while  Scotsmen's 
blood  runs  warm,  and  human  sympathies  endure,  the 
nation's  heart  will  throb  over  the  remembrance  01 
Bannockburn. 

Thirty  thousand  of  the  English  fell  upon  the 
field,  and  the  standards  of  twenty-seven  barons 
were  laid  in  the  dust,  and  their  owners  slain. 
Two  hundred  knights  and  seven  hundred  squires 
were  among  the  fallen.  The  prisoners  consisted 
of  twenty-two  barons,  sixty  knights,  and  a  mul- 
titude of  the  lower  ranks.  Though  only  two  men 
of  high  degree  were  slain  on  the  Scotch  side,  nearly 
four  thousand  of  the  rank  and  file  fell  on  the  field. 
Bruce  showed  a  noble  forbearance  in  the  hour  of 
victory,  and  treated  his  fallen  enemies  and  the 
prisoners  with  respect  and  humanity.     In  this  he 


70 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


exhibited  a  striking  contrast  to  the  cruel  policy  of 
the  Edwards. 

After  the  battle  of  Bannockburn,  Bruce's  chief  aim 
was  to  bring  the  English  Government  to  equitable 
terms  of  peace,  but  they  refused  to  treat  him  as  a 
king.  The  Scots  resorted  to  a  convincing  mode  of 
showing  the  advantages  which  they  had  gained  ;  they 
crossed  the  border  in  force,  and  plundered  and  wasted 
the  northern  counties  of  England.  England  became 
anxious  for  peace,  but  the  Scots  would  listen  to  it 
only  on  the  condition  of  the  full  acknowledgment  of 
the  independence  of  the  kingdom.  The  English  were 
still  loth  to  recognise  this,  and  Edward  II.  tried  the 
weapons  of  spiritual  warfare  and  applied  to  the  Pope 
for  a  pacifying  Bull,  which  was  issued  in  the  beginning 
of  1 3 17.  This  document  was  addressed  to  the  illus- 
trious Edward,  King  of  England,  and  the  noble  Robert 
de  Bruce  conducting  himself  as  King  of  Scotland.  It 
ordered  the  observance  of  a  truce  between  England 
and  Scotland  for  two  years.  But  Bruce  declined  to 
observe  it  or  to  treat  with  the  representatives  of  the 
Pope  unless  he  was  addressed  as  King  of  Scot- 
land, and  told  them  that  he  would  listen  to  no  Bulls 
until  he  had  taken  Berwick.  He  pushed  on  the  siege 
of  Berwick,  and  it  surrendered  in  the  end  of  March, 
1 3 18.  The  Scots  then  invaded  Northumberland,  and 
took  the  castles  of  Wark,  Harbottle,  and  Mitford. 
Shortly  after,  Bruce  and  his  followers  were  excommu- 
nicated, but  owing  to  the  national  sympathies  of  the 
Scotch  clergy,  this  had  no  effect  in  Scotland. 

It  was  felt,  however,  that  the  attitude  of  the  king 
and  the  nation  toward  the  head  of  the  Church  was 


ADDRESS  TO  THE  POPE. 


71 


unsatisfactory.  Many  denunciatory  edicts  had  been 
issued  from  Rome  against  Bruce  and  Scotland  since 
he  mounted  the  throne,  and  England  had  done  all 
that  she  could  to  increase  their  number  and  to  enforce 
them.  The  immaculate  Edward  II.  pretended  that 
he  could  not  treat  with  an  excommunicated  man  like 
Bruce  without  a  papal  dispensation.  Thus  obstacles 
were  constantly  thrown  in  the  way  of  peace,  and  the 
policy  of  King  Robert  was  hampered.  It  was  resolved 
by  parliament  in  April,  1320,  to  prepare  an  address 
to  the  Pope,  and  present  to  him  the  real  state  of  the 
nation  :  it  is  a  document  of  much  importance,  and 
the  following  passage  touching  Bruce  and  the  rights 
of  the  people  is  exceedingly  interesting  :  — 

"  But  at  length  it  pleased  God,  who  only  healeth 
wounds,  to  restore  us  to  liberty  from  these  innumer- 
able calamities,  by  our  most  valiant  prince  and  king, 
lord  Robert,  who  for  delivering  of  his  people  and  his 
own  rightful  inheritance  from  the  enemies'  hands,  has 
most  cheerfully  undergone  all  manner  of  toil,  fatigue, 
hardship,  and  hazard.  The  Divine  Providence,  the 
right  of  succession,  and  the  customs  and  laws  of  the 
kingdom  which  we  will  maintain  till  death,  and  the 
due  and  lawful  consent  and  assent  of  all  the  people, 
make  him  our  prince  and  king.  To  him  we  are 
obliged  and  resolved  to  adhere  in  all  things,  both 
on  account  of  his  right  and  his  merit,  as  the  person 
who  has  restored  the  people's  safety,  in  defence  of 
their  liberties.  But,  after  all,  if  this  prince  should 
leave  those  principles  which  he  has  so  nobly  pursued, 
and  consent  that  we  or  our  kingdom  be  subjected  to 
the  king  or  people  of  England,  we  will  immediately 


72 


WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


endeavour  to  expel  him  as  our  enemy,  and  as  the 
subverter  of  both  his  own  and  our  rights,  and  will 
choose  another  king  who  will  defend  our  liberties  ;  for 
as  long  as  one  hundred  of  us  remain  alive,  we  will 
never  consent  to  subject  ourselves  to  the  English. 
For  it  is  not  glory,  it  is  not  riches,  neither  is  it  honour, 
but  it  is  liberty  alone  that  we  fight  and  contend  for, 
which  no  honest  man  will  lose  but  with  his  life." 

This  spirited  and  constitutional  address  had  an 
immediate  effect  at  the  papal  court ;  the  severe 
measures  against  Scotland  were  suspended,  and 
afterward  the  Pope  consented  to  address  Bruce  by  the 
title  of  the  King  of  Scotland.  Many  attempts  were 
made  to  treat  with  England  for  a  final  peace  ;  but  the 
English  Government  still  continued  to  instigate  the 
papal  court  to  renew  its  edicts  against  Scotland. 
Bruce,  however,  determined  to  bring  the  English 
Government  to  reason.  In  June,  1327,  a  Scotch  army 
entered  England  on  the  western  borders,  plundered 
the  country,  and  returned  home  with  their  booty. 
They  immediately  prepared  for  another  expedition 
against  the  eastern  counties,  and  the  king  at  its  head 
crossed  the  border  and  attacked  the  castle  of  Norham. 
Thus  did  Bruce  by  his  energy  at  last  compel  the 
English  Government  to  sue  for  peace  on  equal 
terms. 

In  January,  1328,  the  English  Government  framed 
and  issued  a  document  which  recognised  Scotland  as 
an  independent  kingdom  as  it  stood  in  the  reign  of 
Alexander  III.  Thereupon  a  treaty  was  drawn  and 
concluded  at  Edinburgh  on  the  17th  of  March,  and 
ratified  by  the  English  Parliament  in  May,  the  same 


INDEPENDENCE  SECURED. 


73 


year.  The  important  point  of  it  was  this — "  And  we 
renounce  whatever  claims  we  or  our  ancestors  in  by* 
gone  times  have  laid  in  any  way  over  the  kingdom 
of  Scotland." 

Robert  I.  had  now  secured  the  independence  and 
liberty  of  the  nation.  For  this  he  had  struggled  more 
than  twenty  long  years ;  sometimes  standing  alone 
while  his  nearest  kindred  and  his  followers  fell  captives 
and  victims  to  the  implacable  rage  and  ambition  of 
the  enemy.  Still,  for  all  that  he  had  suffered,  he  was 
forgiving  and  generous  to  his  opponents,  and  he  rarely 
abused  a  victory.  He  ruled  the  kingdom  with  much 
sagacity  and  wisdom,  and  enrolled  the  humblest  class 
of  the  people  in  his  army.  He  was  kind  and  liberal 
to  the  poor  and  helpless,  and  withal  one  of  nature's 
noblest  sons.  He  died  on  the  7th  of  June,  1329,  at 
Cardross,  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  Firth  of  Clyde, 
and  was  buried  in  the  choir  of  the  abbey  of  Dunferm- 
line. A  marble  monument  was  placed  over  his 
grave  ;  but  he  left  a  nobler  monument — an  enduring 
impression  on  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  in  the 
memory  of  succeeding  generations. 


VI. 


STATE  OF  THE  NATION  TO  THE  DEATH  OF 
JAMES  I. 

ROBERT  I.  was  succeeded  by  his  son  David,  a  boy 
of  eight  years,  who  was  crowned  and  anointed  at 
Scone  on  the  24th  of  November,  1331.  Under  King 
Robert's  settlement,  Randolph,  Earl  of  Mor.ay,  became 
regent,  and  while  he  lived  the  kingdom  was  governed 
well.  But  he  died  in  July,  1332,  just  when  new 
troubles  were  coming  upon  the  nation  ;  and  the  Earl 
of  Mar,  who  was  elected  regent,  utterly  failed  to 
master  the  difficulties  which  quickly  gathered  round 
him. 

Assisted  by  England,  Edward  Baliol,  a  son  of  the 
deposed  King  John,  claimed  the  throne  of  Scotland. 
He  landed  in  Fifeshire  in  the  summer  of  1332,  with 
a  force  of  four  hundred  cavalry  and  four  thousand 
infantry.  Although  there  were  two  Scotch  armies  in 
the  field  to  oppose  him,  the  incapacity  of  the  regent 
led  to  the  ruin  of  one,  and  the  inaction  of  the  Earl 
of  March  to  the  disband  ment  of  the  other,  without 
the  striking  of  a  single  blow.  Thus  it  happened  that 
Edward  Baliol  was  crowned  at  Scone,  on  the  24th  of 


ANDREW  MORAY.  BALIOL. 


75 


September,  seven  weeks  after  his  arrival  in  the  king- 
dom. For  the  next  seven  years  the  nation  was  torn 
by  civil  war,  instigated  and  supported  by  England. 
In  this  space  of  time  the  King  of  England  in  person 
led  four  invasions  in  succession  into  the  kingdom, 
and  took  possession  of  a  large  part  of  the  country. 

Yet  the  national  party,  though  sadly  shattered,  had 
one  or  two  able  and  honest  men  amongst  them.  Sir 
Andrew  Moray,  of  Bothwell,  was  elected  regent ;  a 
skilful  leader  and  an  upright  man,  who  infused 
confidence  in  the  ranks  of  the  party.  In  1335  he 
attacked,  defeated,  and  slew  the  Earl  of  Athole,  at 
Culben,  in  the  west  of  Aberdeenshire.  After  strug- 
gling hard  to  drive  the  enemy  out  of  the  country, 
he  died  in  1338,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Steward 
of  Scotland,  a  grandson  of  Robert  L  In  1337 
Edward  III.  advanced  his  claim  to  the  throne  of 
France,  and  there  he  found  a  more  tempting  field  for 
his  inordinate  ambition.  When  Edward  Baliol  was 
left  to  his  own  resources,  his  poverty  and  nakedness 
soon  appeared.  He  was  an  object  of  suspicion  and 
hatred  among  the  Scots  ;  and  he  fled  in  terror  from 
the  kingdom  in  1339,  and  became  a  pensioned  de- 
pendent on  England. 

The  regent  besieged  Perth,  the  headquarters  of 
the  enemy,  and  in  August,  1339,  it  surrendered. 
Before  the  end  of  this  year  Stirling  and  all  the 
castles  north  of  the  Forth  were  recovered  ;  but  those 
of  Edinburgh,  Roxburgh,  Jedburgh,  Berwick,  and 
others  were  in  the  hands  of  the  English. 

Edinburgh  Castle  was  retaken  in  April,  1341. 
Truces  were  concluded,  but  the  Scots  were  unable 


76    THE  NATION  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  JAMES  I. 

to  observe  them  while  the  English  held  possession 
of  districts  in  the  south  of  the  kingdom.  In  1346 
the  king  mustered  an  army  at  Perth,  and  marched 
southward,  crossed  the  border,  and  advanced  to  the 
vicinity  of  Durham.  On  the  17th  of  October  a  battle 
was  fought,  the  Scots  were  defeated,  and  the  king 
and  many  of  the  nobles  taken  prisoners  ;  but  the 
Steward  escaped  with  the  remnant  of  the  army.  The 
king  and  the  prisoners  of  note  were  conveyed  to  Lon- 
don and  imprisoned.  The  Earls  of  Menteith  and  Fife 
were  selected  as  traitors,  and  tried  and  condemned. 
Menteith  was  executed,  but  Fife's  life  was  spared. 
The  English  followed  up  their  victory,  entered 
Scotland,  and  overran  anew  several  of  the  southern 
counties. 

The  Steward  was  re-elected  regent.  At  this  time 
of  panic  and  confusion  he  ruled  with  wisdom  and 
firmness.  In  1347  a  truce  was  concluded  between 
England  and  France,  which  included  Scotland,  and 
it  was  continued  by  renewals  to  1354.  The  adjust- 
ment of  the  king's  ransom  was  a  most  difficult 
matter.  After  many  abortive  attempts  and  much 
wrangling  it  was  fixed  at  100,000  marks,  to  be  paid 
in  ten  yearly  instalments  of  10,000  marks,  or  £4,000 
of  modern  money.  The  Scotch  Parliament  acknow- 
ledged it  as  a  national  debt,  and  it  proved  an  enor- 
mous burden  on  the  people,  as  they  were  already 
impoverished  by  a  war  of  sixty  years.  As  a  security 
for  the  fulfilment  of  the  agreement,  many  hostages 
were  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  English  govern- 
ment, and  a  truce  was  to  be  observed  till  the  ransom 
was  paid.    Under  these  onerous  terms  David  II. 


DAVID  II.     ROBERT  II. 


77 


returned  to  Scotland  in  1357.  But  owing  to  his 
disposition  and  habits  he  found  little  in  his  own  king- 
dom to  satisfy  him  ;  and  he  frequently  returned  to 
England  and  entailed  more  annoyance  and  expense 
on  the  people.  David  II.  had  no  children  by  his 
wife,  and  in  1363  he  suggested  to  the  Scotch  Parlia- 
ment that  it  should  choose  as  his  successor  Prince 
Lionel,  one  of  the  sons  of  Edward  III. ;  but  Parlia- 
ment rejected  his  proposal  with  scorn.  In  1366 
he  submitted  other  proposals  inimical  to  the  inde- 
pendence and  unity  of  the  kingdom,  which  Parlia- 
ment threw  out  as  intolerable  and  unworthy  of 
consideration.  Such  a  man  was  utterly  unfitted  to 
lead  the  nation  ;  but  his  end  was  approaching,  and 
he  died  in  1 371,  having  nominally  reigned  forty-one 
years. 

The  Steward,  who  had  been  twice  regent,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  throne,  and  was  crowned  at  Scone, 
on  the  26th  of  March,  I37i,as  Robert  II.  He  was  a 
man  of  good  judgment,  and  inclined  to  the  paths  of 
peace,  if  the  state  of  the  kingdom  had  permitted  it. 
The  truce  with  England  was  continued  ;  but  the 
Scots  could  not  refrain  from  driving  out  the  invaders, 
and  by  a  slow  process,  which  extended  over  many 
years,  they  retook  the  conquered  territory  in  the 
southern  counties  of  the  kingdom.  The  league 
between  France  and  Scotland  was  renewed  in  1371. 
France  resolved  to  stimulate  the  Scots  against  Eng- 
land, and  in  May,  1385,  a  French  force  of  two  thousand 
men  arrived  at  Leith,  under  the  command  of  John  de 
Vienne,  Admiral  of  France.  The  French  had  the 
pleasure  of  a  raid  into  England,  and  of  wasting 


78     THE  NATION  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  JAMES  I. 

Cumberland  and  Northumberland.  But  the  French 
and  Scotch  modes  of  warfare  were  so  different  that 
disputes  arose  between  the  leaders.  The  French 
commander  insisted  that  they  should  face  the 
English  in  battle,  and  at  once  strike  a  blow  ;  the 
Scots  said  such  an  attempt  would  be  disastrous. 
The  dispute  waxed  warm ;  the  Frenchmen  talked 
contemptuously  of  the  spirit  of  their  allies  ;  and  they 
were  only  silenced  when  taken  to  the  top  of  a  moun- 
tain and  shown  the  strength  of  the  enemy's  force. 

A  truce  was  concluded  between  France  and  Eng- 
land in  1389,  which  was  accepted  by  Scotland,  and 
continued  by  renewals  to  1399.  This  cheered  the 
last  days  of  the  aged  king,  who  had  long  desired 
peace  ;  and  he  died  in  April,  1390,  and  was  buried  at 
Scone.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  under 
the  title  of  Robert  III.  This  prince  was  an  amiable 
man,  and  fond  of  peace,  but  he  lacked  the  strength 
of  character  to  restrain  the  restless  and  lawless  nobles. 
His  brother,  the  Earl  of  Fife,  afterwards  known  as 
Duke  of  Albany,  who  had  acted  as  regent  in  the 
later  years  of  his  father's  reign,  continued  to  wield 
the  chief  authority,  under  the  name  of  Governor  of 
the  Kingdom.  The  Earl  of  Buchan,  another  brother 
of  the  king,  ruled  the  northern  part  of  the  country, 
and  earned  for  himself  the  name  of  "the  Wolf  of 
Badenoch."  Amongst  other  oppressive  acts  he  took 
possession  of  land  which  belonged  to  the  bishopric 
of  Moray  ;  for  this  he  was  excommunicated.  But  he 
retaliated  by  advancing  with  a  body  of  his  followers 
to  Elgin,  and  burning  the  grand  cathedral,  the 
chantry,  and  the  city0 


THE  KING  AND  THE  NOBLES. 


79 


Shortly  afterwards  the  Wolfs  natural  son,  Duncan 
Stuart,  led  a  party  of  his  adherents  across  the 
mountains,  and  plundered  the  Lowlands.  In  1392 
the  landed  gentry  mustered  and  met  him  at  Gasklune, 
but  he  completely  defeated  them.  The  government 
ordered  Duncan  Stuart  and  his  accomplices  to 
be  proclaimed  outlaws,  for  the  slaughter  of  Walter 
Ogilvy  and  others;  but  it  is  evident  that  Duncan 
Stewart  was  not  harmed,  for  in  subsequent  history 
he  reappeared  as  the  Earl  of  Mar.  The  weakness  of 
the  Crown  and  the  lawlessness  of  the  nobles  were 
the  most  striking  features  of  the  period. 

The  king,  instead  of  being  in  a  position  to  accuse 
the  chief  offenders  or  the  administrative  officials  of 
the  Crown,  was  entering  into  bonds  with  the  nobles 
for  the  protection  of  himself  and  his  heir.  Indeed, 
the  weak  monarch  was  reduced  to  the  extremity  of 
purchasing  the  favour  of  the  nobles.  The  bonds 
between  the  king  and  his  nobles  assumed  the  form 
of  annual  grants  of  money,  under  the  condition  that 
they  were  to  defend  him  and  his  eldest  son  ;  thus  he 
bound  himself  to  give  large  sums  annually  to  indi- 
vidual nobles  for  the  natural  period  of  their  lives,  and 
in  some  instances  of  the  lives  of  their  children.  The 
Duke  of  Albany,  Lord  Stuart  of  Brechin,  Lord 
Murdoch  Stuart,  Sir  William  Lindsay,  Sir  John 
Montgomery,  and  many  others,  were  parties  to  bonds 
of  this  character  with  the  king. 

In  1398,  owing  to  the  infirmity  of  the  king,  Parlia- 
ment appointed  his  eldest  son,  the  Duke  of  Rothe- 
say, Lieutenant  of  the  Kingdom,  with  regal  powers 
for  three  years.    Rothesay  was  a  somewhat  thought- 


RUINS  OF  ST.  ANDREWS  CATHEDRAL. 


MURDER  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  ROTHESAY.  8} 


less  young  man,  impatient  of  opposition,  yet  open 
and  courageous,  and  not  beyond  hope  of  improve- 
ment under  the  sobering  effect  of  experience.  But 
his  uncle  Albany,  the  late  governor,  was  an  ambitious 
man,  fond  of  power,  and  cold  and  pitiless.  Their 
position  made  them  enemies  of  each  other ;  and 
Albany  formed  a  plot  against  the  young  prince,  who 
was  unable  to  cope  with  his  unscrupulous  relative.  The 
Earl  of  Douglas  and  others  joined  Albany,  and  means 
were  soon  found  for  executing  their  dismal  design. 

The  Bishop  of  St.  Andrews  died  in  1401.  It 
was  customary  for  the  castle  of  a  deceased  bishop  to 
be  occupied  by  the  Crown  till  the  election  of  a  new 
one.  With  this  idea  in  his  mind  Rothesay  was  pro- 
ceeding to  occupy  the  castle  of  St.  Andrew's,  and 
when  within  a  mile  of  it  he  was  arrested,  conveyed 
to  the  castle  of  Falkland,  and  imprisoned.  A  few 
weeks  afterwards  his  body  was  removed,  and  interred 
in  the  monastery  of  Lindores,  and  a  report  issued 
that  he  had  died  of  a  bowel  complaint.  But  the 
people  asserted  that  he  had  been  murdered — by  the 
cruel  mode  of  utter  starvation.  There  was  the 
usual  farce  of  a  parliamentary  inquiry  into  the  cause 
of  his  death,  in  which  it  was  gravely  stated  that  he 
died  by  the  visitation  of  Divine  Providence,  and  not 
otherwise.  Albany,  Douglas,  and  their  accom- 
plices were  indemnified,  and  every  one  was  for- 
bidden to  spread  false  rumours  against  them.  The 
aged  and  unhappy  king  bitterly  lamented  the  fate 
of  his  son,  but  he  was  utterly  powerless.  On  the 
death  of  Rothesay,  Albany  resumed  his  position  as 
governor  of  the  kingdom. 


82     THE  NATION  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  JAMES  I. 

It  was  resolved  that  Prince  James,  the  king's 
other  son,  a  boy  of  fourteen  years,  should  be  sent  to 
France  for  safety,  and  to  complete  his  education.  He 
sailed  in  March,  1405,  and  when  off  Flamborough 
Head  he  was  captured  by  an  English  ship,  conveyed 
to  London,  and  lodged  in  the  Tower.  When  his 
guardians  remonstrated,  Henry  IV.  replied  that  he 
knew  the  French  language  very  well,  and  therefore 
his  father  could  not  have  sent  him  to  a  better  master. 
The  Duke  of  Albany  was  rather  pleased  at  the 
capture  of  the  prince,  and  it  was  suspected  that  he 
had  concerted  it.  After  seeing  the  misfortunes  of  his 
family,  Robert  III.  died  on  the  4th  of  April,  1406, 
having  reigned  sixteen  years.  Parliament  recognised 
the  captive  Prince  James  as  the  heir  to  the  throne. 
As  next  in  the  line  of  succession  Albany  was  elected 
regent,  and  continued  to  rule  the  kingdom. 

The  Scots  were  gradually  pressing  the  English 
out  of  the  border  counties.  In  1409,  the  castle  of 
Jedburgh  was  recovered,  and,  having  been  more  use- 
ful to  the  enemy  than  to  the  Scots,  was  levelled  to  the 
ground.  About  the  same  time  Fast  Castle  was  retaken. 

A  truce  was  concluded  with  England  in  141 2. 
The  Duke  of  Albany  died  at  Stirling  on  the  3rd  of 
September,  14 19,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  He 
had  ruled  the  kingdom  for  thirty-four  years,  and 
his  son,  Murdoch  Stuart  succeeded  to  the  office  of 
governor.  But  he  lacked  the  energy  to  pursue  a  line 
of  policy  like  his  father,  and  the  kingdom  under  him 
soon  presented  a  scene  of  anarchy. 

Prince  James  began  to  make  efforts  to  obtain  his 
freedom.     Negotiations  were  opened  and  a  treaty 


RETURN  OF  JAMES  I. 


was  concluded  in  1424.  Scotland  agreed  to  pay  to 
England  forty  thousand  pounds  in  annual  sums  of 
ten  thousand  marks.  It  was  arranged  that  James 
should  marry  the  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Somerset  ; 
and  the  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Southwark  amid 
great  pomp.  A  truce  for  seven  years  was  concluded. 
The  King  moved  northward,  crossed  the  border  on 
the  1st  of  April,  and  was  warmly  welcomed  by  the 
people. 

The  return  of  James  I.  was  an  important  event  in 
the  history  of  Scotland.  He  was  crowned  at  Scone 
on  the  2 1st  of  May,  1424.  It  soon  appeared  that 
a  man  of  talent  and  energy  was  at  the  head  of  the 
government.  James  had  resolved  to  humble  the 
nobles  and  break  their  power.  His  plans  were  well 
conceived,  and  executed  with  striking  energy. 

He  assembled  a  parliament  at  Perth  on  the  12th  of 
March,  1425.  For  eight  days  it  was  engaged  in 
passing  laws  against  the  diffusion  of  heresy,  bands 
among  the  nobles,  and  the  restoration  of  the  lands 
of  the  Church  which  had  been  wrested  from  her  and 
illegally  possessed.  On  the  ninth  day  the  Duke  of 
Albany,  his  second  son,  and  a  number  of  the  chief 
nobles,  were  seized  and  imprisoned.  Parliament  was 
then  adjourned.  The  Earl  of  Lennox  and  Albany's 
eldest  son,  Walter  Stuart,  had  been  previously 
arrested  and  imprisoned.  A  court  was  held  at 
Stirling  on  the  24th  of  May.  It  began  with  the 
trial  of  Walter  Stuart,  who  was  accused  of  robbery, 
convicted,  condemned,  and  immediately  beheaded. 
The  next  day  the  king's  own  cousin  Murdoch 
Stuart,  Duke  of  Albany,  his  second  son,  Alexander, 


PARLIAMENT  AT  INVERNESS. 


85 


and  the  aged  Earl  of  Lennox,  were  tried,  convicted, 
and  sentenced  to  death;  and  they  were  all  executed 
before  the  castle  of  Stirling.  Albany  and  his  sons 
were  men  of  stalwart  and  commanding  presence,  and 
their  fate  excited  much  sympathy  among  the  people. 
Indeed  this  action  of  the  king,  which  flooded  the 
scaffold  with  the  blood  of  his  own  kindred,  cannot  be 
justified.  Probably  he  intended  to  exhibit  a  striking 
example  of  severity ;  he  may  have  wished  the 
nobles  to  understand  that  a  change  had  taken  place 
in  the  government,  and  that  the  lawlessness  which 
had  prevailed,  must  henceforth  cease. 

James,  having  restored  order  in  the  Lowlands, 
directed  attention  to  the  Highlands  and  Western 
Islands,  and  summoned  a  parliament  to  meet  at 
Inverness.  In  1427,  he  proceeded  to  Inverness,  and 
summoned  the  Lord  of  the  Isles  and  fifty  of  the 
most  notable  chiefs  to  attend  his  parliament.  They 
attended,  and  were  instantly  seized  and  imprisoned, 
and  a  number  of  them  were  executed.  The  Lord  of 
the  Isles  was  related  to  the  royal  family,  and  on 
making  due  submission,  he  was  liberated.  But  he 
was  displeased  with  the  whole  proceedings,  and 
immediately  after  the  departure  of  the  king  he 
mustered  his  followers  and  attackeu  Inverness.  The 
king  returned,  and  met  him  in  Lochaber,  defeated 
him,  and  pursued  his  retreating  followers  over  the 
mountains  and  from  glen  to  glen.  At  last  the  Lord 
of  the  Isles  surrendered,  and  in  1429  he  was  im- 
prisoned in  the  castle  of  Tantallon  ;  but  after  a  few 
years,  he  was  liberated  and  restored  to  his  possessions. 

The  chief  aim  of  James  I.  was  to  make  the  nobles 


86     THE  NATION  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  JAMES  I. 

more  dependent  upon  the  Crown  ;  to  restrain  them 
from  oppressing  the  people  ;  and  to  rule  the  kingdom 
through  Parliament  acting  with  the  executive  power 
of  the  Crown.  He  attempted  to  introduce  the 
principle  of  representation  in  the  election  of  members 
of  Parliament.  In  his  short  reign  parliament  was 
assembled  fifteen  times,  and  besides  transacting  other 
business,  his  parliaments  passed  upwards  of  160  dis- 
tinct statutes,  which  were  written  and  proclaimed  in 
the  language  of  the  people.  These  Acts  were  brief, 
incisive,  and  clearly  expressed,  and  dealing  with  many 
important  matters,  especially  the  reform  of  the 
administration  of  justice.  It  was  commanded  that 
justice  should  be  equally  distributed  in  every  part  of 
the  kingdom,  "  to  the  rich  as  to  the  poor,  without 
fraud  or  favour." 

He  pursued  his  object  of  reducing  the  power  of 
the  nobles  with  inflexible  determination.  In  1431  he 
ventured  on  an  extremely  bold  step.  Parliament 
had  decided  that  the  late  governor,  Albany,  had 
no  power  to  alienate  any  lands  which  by  the  death 
of  a  bastard  might  have  fallen  to  the  Crown,  and 
on  this  ground  a  grant  of  land  to  Adam  Ker  was 
invalid.  In  this  way  the  king  prepared  for  a  great 
stroke.  The  Earls  of  March,  who  usually  commanded 
the  castle  of  Dunbar,  and  held  large  estates  in  the 
south  of  the  kingdom,  had  long  been  a  cause  of  annoy- 
ance to  the  Crown.  In  1401,  the  Earl  of  March  joined 
the  English  and  fought  against  the  Scots  ;  but  he 
returned  to  Scotland  in  1408,  and  his  estates  were 
restored  to  him  by  the  Duke  of  Albany.  He  died 
in  1420,  and  his  son  George  succeeded  to  the  lands 


FORFEITURE  OF  MARCH.  PLOT  AGAINST  JAMES  /.  87 

of  the  earldom  ;  and  it  was  this  man  that  the  king 
resolved  to  humble.  A  parliament  was  assembled 
at  Perth  in  1435,  and  proceeded  to  discuss  the  cause 
of  the  earldom  of  March.  It  was  debated  on  both 
sides  : — First,  touching  the  treason  and  forfeiture  of 
the  late  earl,  and  the  consequent  reversion  of  his 
estates  to  the  Crown  ;  and  second,  the  position  and 
claim  of  his  son  then  in  possession.  The  verdict  of 
the  judges  was  against  the  earl,  and  all  the  lands  of 
the  earldom  were  annexed  to  the  Crown.  The 
dispossessed  earl  and  his  family  retired  to  England. 

About  this  time  died  the  Earl  of  Mar,  Duncan 
Stuart,  the  outlaw  and  hero  of  Harlaw,  mentioned 
in  a  preceding  page,  and  his  estates  reverted  to  the 
Crown  on  the  ground  of  his  illegitimacy.  The  Scotch 
nobles  were  now  alarmed,  and  enraged  at  the 
proceedings  of  the  king ;  and  they  formed  a  plot  to 
murder  him.  The  chief  actors  in  the  dismal  plot 
were  Walter  Stuart,  Earl  of  Athole,  a  son  of  Robert 
II.  ;  Robert  Stuart,  a  grandson  of  Athole's,  who 
was  then  chamberlain  to  the  king  ;  and  Sir  Robert 
Graham.  Graham  in  parliament  vehemently  de- 
nounced the  king  for  his  encroachment  upon  the 
nobles,  and  he  was  banished  and  his  property  for- 
feited. He  then  went  to  the  Highlands  and  matured 
the  plot ;  he  renounced  his  allegiance,  and  warned 
the  king  that  he  would  pursue  him  as  his  enemy  and 
slay  him. 

James  resolved  to  hold  his  Christmas  at  Perth,  in 
the  Black  Friars  Monastery.  Though  he  was  solemnly 
warned  of  his  personal  danger,  he  disregarded  it. 
Graham  and  his  accomplices  arranged  to  commit 


88     THE  NATION  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  JAMES  L 

their  horrid  crime  on  the  night  of  the  20th  of 
February,  1437  ;  and  Stuart,  the  chamberlain,  re- 
moved the  bolts  of  the  doors  which  made  commu- 
nication in  the  interior  of  the  building  easy.  The 
king  had  undressed,  and  was  standing  in  his  night- 
gown before  the  fire,  talking  with  the  queen  and  the 
ladies  of  the  bedchamber,  when  he  was  alarmed  by 
the  clang  of  arms  and  the  glare  of  torch-lights  in 
the  outer  court.  The  queen  and  the  ladies  rushed  to 
secure  the  door,  but  the  bolts  were  gone.  The  king 
instantly  saw  his  peril,  and,  seizing  the  tongs,  wrenched 
up  a  flag  and  descended  to  a  vault  below.  The 
cruel  ruffians  rushed  through  the  building  and  feared 
that  their  victim  had  escaped.  But  Thomas 
Chambers  suspected  what  had  happened,  and 
returned  to  the  bedchamber,  and  seeing  that  the  floor 
had  been  newly  broken,  instantly  tore  it  up,  and 
their  victim  appeared.  Sir  John  Hall  leaped  down, 
but  the  king  seized  him  by  the  throat  and  threw  him 
under  his  feet.  A  brother  of  Hall's  followed,  and  met 
the  same  fate.  Graham  then  sprang  down  with  his 
drawn  sword,  and  the  king  implored  for  mercy  ;  but 
Graham  called  him  a  cruel  tyrant,  who  had  never 
shown  mercy  to  his  own  kindred,  and  in  an  instant 
thrust  his  sword  through  the  king's  body  Thus 
perished,  by  the  hands  of  atrocious  villains,  the  ablest 
king  of  all  the  Stuart  line. 


VII. 


CONFLICTS  BETWEEN  THE  CROWN  AND  THE 
NOBLES. 

AFTER  the  tragic  end  of  James  I.,  his  son,  a  boy 
of  eight  years,  succeeded  to  the  throne,  and  was 
crowned  in  the  monastery  of  Holyrood  on  the  25th  of 
March,  1437.  The  custody  and  care  of  the  prince 
was  entrusted  to  his  mother ;  and  the  Earl  of 
Douglas  was  appointed  Lieutenant  of  the  Kingdom. 
During  the  minority  the  factions  of  the  nobles 
struggled  to  kidnap  the  king.  The  queen  with  her 
son  had  taken  refuge  in  the  castle  of  Edinburgh,  but 
the  governor,  Sir  William  Crichton,  isolated  the  boy 
from  his  mother  and  made  him  a  kind  of  prisoner. 
The  queen  outwitted  him,  and  conveyed  her  son  to 
Stirling  Castle,  which  Sir  Alexander  Livingston 
commanded.  In  1439,  the  queen  married  Sir  James 
Stewart,  the  Black  Knight  of  Lorn,  with  the  hope 
of  strengthening  her  position  ;  but  Livingston  im- 
prisoned them  both,  and  kept  the  young  prince 
a  captive  in  Stirling  Castle. 

The  Earl  of  Douglas  died  in  1439,  and  his  son,  a 
youth  of  seventeen  years,  succeeded  to  the  earldom. 


EXECUTION  OF  THE  EARL  OF  DOUGLAS.  Ql 

He  kept  a  host  of  retainers,  and  scorned  to  appear  at 
Court  or  parliament.    The  factions  of  Livingston  and 
Crichton  saw  that  the  earl  must  be  crushed.    As  they 
were  unable  to  attack  him  in  the  field,  they  resolved 
to  allure  him  into  a  trap.    They  invited  him  to  visit 
the  young  king  in  Edinburgh  Castle.   The  earl  and  his 
brother  proceeded  there,  and  were  received  with  much 
show  of  respect.    But  in  a  few  days  after  their  arrival, 
they  were  both  beheaded.    This  blow  stunned  the 
Douglas  family.     A  portion  of  the  estates  of  the 
earldom  reverted  to  a  sister  of  the  murdered  earl, 
while  his  grand  uncle,  James   Douglas,  succeeded 
to  the  title  and  the  greater  part  of  the  lands.  He 
died  in  1443,  and  his  son,  William  Douglas,  succeeded. 
William  was  a  man  of  energy  and  ambition.  His 
power  soon  became  enormous  and  inconsistent  with 
order,  and  the  kingdom  presented  a  scene  of  turmoil. 
To  make  himself  master  of  the  kingdom,  he  sought 
admittance  to  the  king's  presence  at  Stirling  Castle, 
and  Livingston  who  had  the  custody  of  the  prince 
granted    the    request.     Livingston    and  Douglas 
became   friends,   and    Crichton   saw   with  dismay 
that  he  was  undone.    Douglas  assumed  the  title  and 
power  of  Lieutenant-general  of  the  Kingdom,  called 
a  parliament  and  summoned  Crichton  and  his  ad- 
herents to  appear  and  answer  to  a  charge  of  high 
treason.    Crichton,  instead  of  obeying  the  summons, 
mustered    his    followers,   plundered   the   lands  of 
Douglas,  then  retired  into  the  castle  of  Edinburgh, 
and  defied  his  enemies.    And  they  afterwards  came 
to  terms  with  him. 

The  Earl  of  Douglas  divorced  his  wife,  then 


92  THE  CROWN  AND  THE  NOBLES. 


married  his  cousin,  the  "  Fair  Maid  of  Galloway," 
and  thus  reunited  the  domains  of  his  house.  His 
power  rapidly  increased,  and  a  struggle  with  the 
Crown  became  inevitable.  In  1449  the  king  married, 
and  began  to  show  energy  and  ability,  but  he  mainly 
relied  on  the  counsel  of  Crichton  the  Chancellor  and 
Bishop  Kennedy.  The  king  had  not  sufficient  power 
to  attack  Douglas  openly,  and  so  the  faction  of  the 
Livingstons  were  first  crushed.  The  Livingston  family 
who  had  enriched  themselves  during  the  king's 
minority,  were  seized  and  imprisoned.  The  head  of 
the  house,  an  old  man,  was  granted  his  life ;  but  his 
son  and  several  others  of  the  faction  were  executed. 

Douglas  continued  to  hold  a  haughty  attitude 
toward  the  king,  and  it  was  proposed  to  try  the  effect 
of  a  personal  interview.  In  February,  1452,  he  was 
invited  to  visit  the  king  at  Stirling  Castle,  and  he  com- 
plied. He  dined  and  supped  with  the  royal  party, 
and  then  the  king  took  him  aside  to  an  inner  room 
where  they  entered  into  a  private  conversation.  One 
matter  after  another  was  touched  on,  till  the  question 
of  Douglas's  bonds  with  the  Earls  of  Crawford  and 
Ross  was  broached.  Their  talk  waxed  hot,  the  king 
insisted  that  Douglas  must  break  these  secret  bonds, 
but  he  declined  to  desert  his  allies.  At  last  the  king 
exclaimed,  "  This  shall,"  and  instantly  drew  his  dagger 
and  twice  stabbed  his  guest.  The  nobles  at  hand 
rushed  upon  the -bleeding  man  and  killed  him  out- 
right. There  can  be  no  justification  or  palliation  of 
this  murder  ;  perhaps  it  was  unpremeditated,  as  there 
was  no  preparation  made  to  meet  its  consequences. 

The  rash  act  of  the  king  hastened  the  crisis,  and 


MURDER  OF  DOUGLAS.     CIVIL   WAR.  93 


civil  war  raged  from  the  borders  to  Inverness.  The 
struggle  was  desperate,  and  the  king  was  hard  and 
sorely  pressed.  He  appointed  the  Earl  of  Huntly 
Lieutenant-general  of  the  Kingdom,  and  entrusted  to 
him  the  task  of  suppressing  the  rebellion  of  the  Earls  of 
Crawford  and  Ross.  Huntly,  at  the  head  of  the  royal 
army,  attacked  Crawford  near  Brechin,  and,  after  a 
severe  battle,  defeated  him.  But  Crawford  retreated 
to  Finhaven  Castle,  and  continued  to  harass  all  whom 
he  considered  his  enemies. 

Huntly  turned  to  chastise  the  Earl  of  Moray,  who 
had  invaded  and  wasted  Strathbogie.  He  crossed  the 
Spey,  advanced  into  Moray,  and  destroyed  one  half  of 
the  city  of  Elgin.  Thus  the  rebellion  was  subdued 
in  the  north.  But  in  the  south  the  war  raged  with 
intense  fury.  The  new  Earl  of  Douglas  and  his 
brothers  defied  and  scorned  the  king's  authority,  and 
burned  and  wasted  the  country.  At  last  the  Earl  of 
Angus,  a  member  of  the  Douglas  tribe,  joined  the 
king's  standard.  His  kinsmen  looked  on  this  as  an 
unpardonable  crime,  and  attacked  his  possessions 
with  extreme  ferocity.  After  many  fruitless  efforts 
the  king  managed  to  muster  an  army,  and  advanced 
in  person  against  the  Earl  of  Douglas,  entered  his 
territory  and  proceeded  through  Peebles-shire,  Selkirk 
Forest,  Dumfries,  and  Galloway.  Douglas  Castle  was 
captured,  and  peace  was  concluded  in  August,  1452. 
Douglas  agreed  to  renounce  his  claim  to  the  earldom 
of  Wigton,  and  the  lands  of  Stewarton,  and  to 
abandon  all  quarrels  arising  out  of  recent  events 
and  all  illegal  bonds. 

But  Douglas  married  his  brother's  widow,  and  once 


94  THE  CROWN  AND  THE  NOBLES. 

more  united  the  territories  of  the  family.  He  entered 
into  communications  with  the  Yorkish  party  in 
England,  and  conspired  to  overthrow  the  Government 
and  the  Stuart  dynasty.  An  appeal  to  arms  again 
became  necessary.  The  king  raised  an  army,  and 
marched  into  the  lands  of  Douglas,  besieged  and  took 
the  castle  of  Abercorn  ;  and  other  castles  of  the  rebel 
chief  soon  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  king.  Douglas 
made  a  last  effort  at  Arkinholm,  but  was  defeated  by 
the  royal  troops  under  Angus.  In  this  engagement 
one  of  Douglas's  brothers  fell,  and  another  was 
captured  and  beheaded.  Douglas  himself  fled  to 
England,  and  the  estates  of  the  earldom  were  forfeited 
to  the  Crown. 

England  still  retained  Berwick  and  the  castle  of 
Roxburgh,  and  the  Government  determined  to  take 
the  latter ;  but  it  was  strong  and  obstinately  defended 
by  the  English.  In  the  siege  of  Roxburgh  cannon 
were  used,  and  the  king  was  present  to  urge  on  the 
operations.  One  of  the  great  guns  was  brought  from 
Flanders,  and  the  king  was  eager  to  see  the  effect  of 
its  working.  When  it  was  discharged  some  of  the 
wedges  which  were  used  to  tighten  the  iron  hoops 
were  driven  out,  and  one  of  them  struck  and  killed  the 
king.  But  the  siege  was  continued,  and  the  castle 
taken.  Having  been  more  serviceable  to  the  enemy 
than  to  Scotland,  it  was  levelled  with  the  ground. 

James  II.  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  a  boy  of  eight 
years  of  age,  who  was  proclaimed  king  at  Kelso 
under  the  title  of  James  III.  For  several  years  the 
government  was  conducted  by  Bishop  Kennedy.  He 
died  in  1466,  and  the  usual  plotting  of  the  restless 


RISE  OF  THE  BOYDS.     MARRIAGE  OF  JAMES  III.  95 

nobles  recommenced.  The  family  of  the  Boyds  en- 
tered into  a  bond  with  a  number  of  nobles  to  support 
each  other,  to  sieze  the  young  king,  and  rule  the 
kingdom  in  their  own  interest.  So  on  the  19th  of 
July,  when  the  chamberlain  was  holding  his  court  at 
Linlithgow  with  the  king,  Lord  Boyd  and  a  number 
of  his  associates  entered  the  court,  and  requested  the 
king  to  accompany  them  to  Edinburgh,  and  of  course 
he  complied.  Lord  Boyd  was  then  appointed  guar- 
dian of  the  king's  person,  governor  of  the  royal  castles, 
and  High  Justiciar  of  the  kingdom.  Thus  he  at 
once  became  supreme,  and  his  family  and  relations 
speedily  acquired  large  tracts  of  territory.  In  1467 
Lord  Boyd's  eldest  son  was  created  Earl  of  Arran, 
and  married  to  the  king's  sister. 

It  was  stated  in  a  preceding  chapter  that  the 
Western  Islands  were  ceded  to  Scotland  in  1266, 
and  the  payment  of  an  annual  rent  of  100  marks 
was  one  of  the  terms  of  the  treaty.  This  had 
not  been  regularly  paid,  and  the  arrears  amounted 
to  a  considerable  sum.  A  marriage  was  proposed 
between  James  III.  and  a  daughter  of  the  King 
of  Denmark,  and  the  Earl  of  Arran  and  other 
commissioners  proceeded  there  to  negotiate  it.  They 
concluded  a  treaty  with  King  Christian,  in  which 
he  agreed  to  abandon  his  claims  for  the  arrears 
of  rent  on  the  Western  Islands  ;  to  endow  his 
daughter  with  60,000  florins,  of  which  he  proposed 
to  pay  10,000  florins  before  she  departed  to  Scotland, 
and  to  secure  the  remaining  50,000  on  the  Orkney 
Islands.  But  on  further  reflection,  he  proposed  to 
give  the  bride  2,000  florins  for  her  immediate  use 


FALL  OF  THE  BOYDS. 


97 


and  secure  the  balance  on  the  Shetland  Islands. 
The  treaty  thus  adjusted  was  accepted  ;  and,  as  the 
money  was  never  paid,  the  Orkney  and  Shetland 
Islands  became  incorporated  with  Scotland. 

When  the  Earl  of  Arran  returned  with  the  king's 
bride,  he  found  that  his  enemies  had  undermined  his 
power  and  that  he  was  utterly  deserted  ;  and  he 
immediately  fled  with  his  wife  to  Denmark.  But  he 
was  soon  stripped  of  his  royal  wife  by  a  divorce. 
She  afterward  married  the  head  of  the  Hamilton 
family,  and  this  house  subsequently  attained  a  high 
position  in  the  kingdom. 

As  the  Boyds  had  risen  rapidly,  so  their  fall  was 
equally  swift  and  complete.  In  1469,  they  were  tried 
for  treason  and  convicted.  Old  Boyd,  the  head  of  the 
house,  fled  to  England,  where  he  shortly  afterwards 
died.  His  brother  Alexander  was  executed  on  the 
Castle  Hill  of  Edinburgh.  The  extent  of  the  lands 
which  they  had  unjustly  seized  in  the  short  day  of 
their  power,  is  well  shown  by  the  local  names  in  the 
act  of  their  forfeiture.  The  lordship  of  Kilmarnock 
was  the  hereditary  possession  of  the  family,  but  the 
list  in  the  act  contained  the  lordship  of  Bute,  the 
castle  of  Rothesay,  the  lordship  of  Arran,  the  earldom 
of  Carrick,  the  lordship  of  Cowal,  the  lordship  of 
Stewarton,  the  barony  of  Renfrew,  and  several  others. 
The  case  of  the  Boyds  is  not  an  isolated  one  in 
our  story,  as  a  similar  policy  was  pursued  by  the 
nobles  whenever  they  had  an  opportunity.  It  was 
the  chief  source  of  their  endless  feuds. 

James  III.  had  attained  his  ninteenth  year,  and, 
as  already  stated,  was  married.     But  his  education 


98  THE  CROWN  AND  THE  NOBLES. 


had  been  sadly  neglected,  and  he  showed  little  capacity 
in  the  government  of  his  kingdom.  He  was  peace- 
fully inclined  and  lacked  the  energy  of  character 
necessary  to  control  the  nobles.  His  two  brothers, 
the  Duke  of  Albany  and  the  Earl  of  Mar,  perhaps 
because  they  were  active  and  popular  men,  the  king 
seems  to  have  regarded  as  his  enemies.  Mar  died  in  the 
castle  of  Craigmiller,  and  it  was  widely  rumoured  that 
the  king  had  caused  him  to  be  murdered.  Albany 
was  imprisoned  in  the  castle  of  Edinburgh,  but  he 
escaped  and  fled  to  France.  In  1482  he  came  over 
to  England,  and  entered  into  a  treaty  with  the  English 
Government,  in  which  he  agreed  to  recognise  the  feudal 
superiority  of  England,  while  the  English  king  was  to 
give  him  the  Crown  of  Scotland  under  the  title  of 
Alexander  IV.  Albany  promised  to  render  homage 
to  his  feudal  lord  whenever  he  was  put  in  possession 
of  the  kingdom  ;  to  support  England  ;  and  abandon 
the  old  alliance  with  France.  *  The  old  Earl  of 
Douglas  was  still  alive  and  a  retainer  of  the  English 
king,  and  he  and  several  other  Scotch  nobles  joined 
the  plot. 

Thus  the  relations  of  England  and  Scotland  be- 
came menacing.  In  July,  1482,  an  army  was  mus- 
tered on  the  Burghmoor,  near  Edinburgh,  and  with  the 
king  at  its  head  marched  toward  the  border.  When  it 
reached  Lauder  a  tragic  action  happened.  Cochrane, 
one  of  the  king's  favourites,  who  had  originally  been 
a  mason,  had  charge  of  the  artillery.  The  nobles  met 
in  a  church,  and  resolved  to  sweep  off  the  king's 
favourites.  While  they  were  talking  a  knock  was 
heard  at  the  door  ;  it  was  Cochrane  with  a  message 


EXECUTION  OF  THE  KING'S  FAVOURITES.  99 


from  the  king.  The  Earl  of  Angus  seized  and  pulled 
the  gold  chain  from  Cochrane's  neck,  saying  that  a 
rope  would  befit  him  better.  "  My  lords,"  said  he, 
"is  it  jest  or  earnest?"  He  was  told  it  was  earnest, 
and  was  quickly  bound  and  placed  under  guard. 
A  party  of  the  nobles,  who  were  despatched  to  the 
royal  tent,  instantly  seized  the  king's  musician,  Rogers, 
and  the  rest  of  his  favourites  and  servants.  These 
were  then  led  along  with  Cochrane  to  the  bridge  of 
Lauder,  where  they  were  all  hanged. 

After  the  execution  of  the  favourites,  the  nobles 
disbanded  the  army  and  left  the  country  a  prey  to  the 
enemy.  The  English  retook  Berwick,  which  hence- 
forth remained  in  their  possession.  The  nobles  im- 
prisoned the  king  in  Edinburgh  Castle.  The  Duke 
of  Albany  came  to  Edinburgh  with  the  English  army, 
with  the  intention  of  mounting  the  throne.  For  a 
short  time  he  ruled  the  kingdom  ;  but  when  his  in- 
trigues with  the  English  Government  became  known 
in  Scotland,  he  was  forced  to  retire,  and  he  finally 
settled  in  France. 

The  nobles,  continuing  to  plot  against  the  king, 
at  last  resolved  to  dethrone  him.  It  occurred  to  them 
that  the  king's  son,  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  of  age, 
would  serve  their  purpose,  and  the  southern  nobles 
induced  him  to  join  them  and  rise  in  rebellion  against 
his  own  father.  They  mustered  their  followers  and 
advanced  apon  Edinburgh.  The  king  crossed  the 
Forth  and  passed  into  the  northern  counties  which 
were  loyal,  and  there  a  strong  force  rallied  round 
him.  He  then  marched  on  Stirling,  but  the  governor 
of  the  castle  had  joined  the  rebels.    On  the  28th  of 


100  THE  CROWN  AND  THE  NOBLES. 


June,  1488,  the  two  armies  approached  each  other  at 
a  small  brook,  called  Sauchie  Burn,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Stirling.  An  engagement  ensued,  and  was  fiercely 
contested.  The  king  fled  from  the  field.  His  horse 
stumbled  and  threw  him,  and  some  of  the  rebels  came 
up  and  killed  him.  Thus  fell  James  III.  in  the  thirty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age  and  twenty-eighth  of  his  reign, 
another  victim  to  the  ambition  of  a  reckless 
aristocracy. 

A  few  days  after  his  father's  death,  James  IV.  was 
crowned  at  Scone  ;  and  the  faction  who  held  the  reins 
of  government  proceeded  to  make  themselves  secure. 
James  IV.  took  an  interest  in  shipbuilding,  and  in 
his  reign  the  nation  made  some  progress  as  a  naval 
power.  The  relations  of  Scotland  became  more  and 
more  interwoven  with  the  other  kingdoms  of  Europe. 
Spain,  then  in  the  zenith  of  her  glory  and  power, 
had  an  ambassador  at  the  Court  of  Scotland:  She 
was  forming  a  league  against  France,  and  desired  to 
sever  James  IV.  from  his  old  ally  ;  but  in  this  she 
failed. 

The  internal  state  of  England  had  for  some  time 
rendered  her  a  quiet  neighbour.  In  1495,  negotia- 
tions were  begun  touching  the  marriage  of  the  king 
with  the  daughter  of  Henry  VII.  The  treaty  of 
marriage  between  James  IV.  and  the  Princess 
Margaret  of  England  was  concluded  in  January, 
1502  ;  and  on  the  8th  of  August,  the  marriage  was 
.celebrated  in  the  chapel  of  Holyrood  amid  the 
rejoicing  of  the  people.  A  hundred  years  later  the 
issue  of  this  marriage  united  the  crowns  of  the  two 
kingdoms. 


102  THE  CROWN  AND  THE  NOBLES. 


In  1509,  Henry  VII.  died,  and  Scotland  lost  a 
quiet  neighbour.  His  son,  who  succeeded,  was  a 
different  personage,  and  shortly  after  his  accession  the 
old  strife  was  renewed.  England  was  entering  on 
a  war  with  France,  in  which  Scotland  was  to  take  the 
side  of  her  old  ally.  In  the  summer  of  1 5 1 3  the  feudal 
force  of  the  kingdom  mustered  on  the  Burghmoor  ; 
and,  with  the  king  at  its  head,  marched  to  the  border 
and  crossed  the  Tweed  on  the  22nd  of  August. 
Much  time  was  lost  in  attacking  a  few  border  castles, 
instead  of  advancing  and  striking  a  blow  before  the 
enemy  was  prepared  to  offer  serious  resistance.  But 
the  king,  disregarding  the  counsel  of  the  ablest  men 
in  Scotland,  allowed  the  enemy  to  take  every  advan- 
tage. The  battle  of  Flodden  was  fought  on  the  9th 
of  September,  15 13.  James,  whose  idea  was  to  have 
a  stand-up  battle,  fought  on  foot  with  his  own 
hand  in  front  of  the  centre  ;  and  although  his  bravery 
was  surpassing,  it  only  increased  the  carnage,  as  the 
flower  of  the  army  crowded  round  him  and  fell  in  a 
hand-to-hand  struggle  with  the  enemy.  The  loss  of 
the  Scots  was  lamentable,  upwards  of  eight  thousand 
being  left  upon  the  fatal  field,  and  among  them  the 
king.  Indeed  there  was  hardly  a  family  of  any  note 
in  the  kingdom  but  had  lost  some  of  its  members. 

A  glance  may  be  taken  here  at  the  rise  of  the 
literature  of  the  nation,  and  the  institution  of  the 
Universities.  Prior  to  the  fourteenth  century  the 
national  literature  consisted  of  ballads  and  traditional 
tales.  The  early  Scotch  Chroniclers  composed  their 
narratives  in  rhyme.    John  Barbour's  metrical  story 


BARBOUR.     WINTON.     BLIND  HARRY.  I03 


of  King  Robert  Bruce  is  the  best  extant  speci- 
men of  the  national  literature  of  the  fourteenth 
century.  He  was  writing  it  in  the  year  1375,  and 
the  Government  rewarded  him  with  a  pension  "  for 
writing  the  Book  of  the  Deeds  of  King  Robert  I." 
Barbour  died,  at  an  advanced  age,  about  1396. 
His  book  on  Bruce  has  much  literary  merit  and 
historical  value. 

Andrew  Winton,  Prior  of  St.  Serf's  Monastery, 
produced  his  Original  Chronicle  of  Scotland  in  the 
form  of  a  metrical  story.  He  was  prior  in  1395,  and 
lived  to  1420.  Winton  commenced  his  Chronicle 
with  a  history  of  the  world,  and  treated  of  angels,  the 
Creation,  the  death  of  Abel,  the  generations  of  Cain 
and  Seth,  the  primeval  race  of  giants,  the  ark  of  Noah 
and  the  Flood,  and  a  long  series  of  other  topics.  His 
language  is  similar  to  Barbour's.  The  later  portion 
of  his  narrative  is  valuable,  its  simple  account  of 
events  being  generally  trustworthy  ;  and  his  descrip^ 
tions  are  interesting  in  relation  to  the  state  of  society 
in  his  own  time. 

Henry  the  Minstrel,  usually  called  Blind  Harry, 
composed  the  metrical  "  Life  of  Wallace  "  in  the  later 
part  of  the  fifteenth  century.  He  earned  his  living  by 
travelling  through  the  country  and  reciting  his  rhymes 
to  the  people.  His  "  Life  of  Wallace  "  has  hardly  any 
historical  value.  The  materials  which  he  used  in  its 
composition  were  the  traditions,  the  stories,  and  the 
ballads,  then  current  among  the  people,  touching 
Wallace,  which  had  been  accumulating  around  his 
name  since  his  execution.  It  is  thus  an  embodiment 
of  the  notions  and  sentiments  which  the  Scots  en- 


104  THE  CROWN  AND  THE  NOBLES. 


tertained  about  their  greatest  hero  in  the  fifteenth 
century.    For  this  it  is  interesting  and  valuable. 

James  I.  ranks  among  the  poets  of  his  age,  and  was 
the  author  of  a  poem  entitled  "  The  King's  Quair," 
which  extends  to  197  stanzas.  It  is  animated,  and 
shows  imaginative  faculty,  keen  feeling,  and  marks  of 
real  poetry.  Robert  Henryson,  one  of  the  most  emi- 
nent of  our  early  writers,  was  born  in  1425,  and  died 
toward  the  end  of  the  century.  He  was  the  author  of 
various  pieces  of  poetry  which  were  much  esteemed, 
including  thirteen  moral  fables  in  verse.  His  style  is 
easy  and  flowing,  though  it  does  not  show  great 
passion  or  emotional  power  ;  his  realisation  of  the 
beauties  of  external  nature  is  very  fine,  and  the  asso- 
ciated objects  are  handled  with  rare  skill. 

The  first  Scotch  University  was  a  very  simple 
institution,  and  was  originated  by  a  few  men  who 
formed  an  association  in  St.  Andrews,  under  the 
patronage  of  Bishop  Wardlaw.  They  commenced  to 
deliver  public  lectures  in  1410  ;  and  the  Pope's  Bull 
sanctioning  the  establishment  of  the  University 
arrived  in  141 3  The  event  was  celebrated  with  a 
gladness  and  joy  worthy  of  its  significance.  The 
University  of  Glasgow  was  founded  in  145 1,  but  it 
was  poorly  endowed.  The  University  of  Aberdeen 
dates  from  1494.  A  considerable  part  of  the  build- 
ings of  King's  College,  Aberdeen,  belongs  to  the 
beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  branches 
usually  taught  in  these  schools  were  philosophy, 
theology,  and  canon  and  civil  law. 


VIII. 


PROGRESS    OF    THE    REFORMATION    IN  SCOTLAND 
TO  THE  DEATH  OF  CARDINAL  BEATON. 

We  are  now  entering  on  the  era  of  modern  history, 
when  influences  which  had  been  long  working  began 
to  show  themselves  in  unexpected  forms.  The 
languages  of  the  chief  nations  of  Europe  were  almost 
fully  formed  ;  the  various  peoples  were  seeking  unity 
and  national  independence  ;  and  the  printing  press 
was  ready  to  diffuse  the  new  ideas  as  they  appeared. 
The  sixteenth  century  is  a  period  of  vast  importance 
and  interest  in  the  annals  of  Europe,  and  in  the 
development  and  civilisation  of  the  human  race.  I 
shall  narrate,  as  fully  as  the  limits  of  this  volume 
admit,  the  part  which  Scotland  played  in  the  revolu- 
tionary movement. 

When  Europe  was  on  the  eve  of  the  Reformation, 
Scotland  had  lost  her  king  on  the  disastrous  field  of 
Flodden.  In  October,  15 13,  his  son,  an  infant,  was 
crowned  at  Scone  and  his  mother  named  Regent ; 
but  this  arrangement  came  to  an  end  upon  her 
marriage  in  the  following  year  with  the  Earl  of 
Angus.  A  party  of  the  nobles,  were  looking  to  the 
Duke  of  Albany  as  a  likely  personage  to  take  the 


106  THE  REFORMATION  IN  SCOTLAND. 


reins  of  government.  He  was  a  son  of  Alexandei 
Stuart,  Duke  of  Albany,  a  brother  of  James  III., 
and,  after  the  infant  king,  was  next  heir  to  the  throne. 
He  was  an  Admiral  of  France,  whither  his  father  had 
fled,  and  where  he  himself  lived  in  princely  state. 
Invited  to  the  governorship  of  the  kingdom,  he 
arrived  in  May,  15 15,  and  was  warmly  welcomed  by 
the  people,  who  hoped  to  enjoy  an  increase  of  peace 
under  his  rule.  The  task  of  restoring  order  among 
the  Scotch  nobles  was  enormously  difficult.  Although 
the  new  governor's  talents  were  above  the  average  of 
his  class,  he  laboured  under  the  disadvantage  of  being 
French  in  manner  and  habits,  and  of  being  un- 
acquainted with  the  usages  and  feelings  of  the  Scots. 
He  began  his  government  with  bold  measures. 
Offenders  of  the  highest  rank  were  seized,  imprisoned, 
and  executed.  But  these  proceedings  failed  to  pro- 
duce the  intended  effect,  and  in  a  short  time  Albany 
discovered  the  hopelessness  of  his  task.  He  re- 
peatedly returned  to  France  to  be  free  of  the  turmoil  ; 
and  after  a  fluctuating  sway  of  eight  years,  his  regency 
ended  in  1524. 

The  Earl  of  Angus,  who  during  Albany's  regency 
had  been  forced  to  flee  the  country,  now  returned  to 
pusi\  his  claims  to  power.  With  the  concurrence  of 
the  Earl  of  Arran  and  others,  he  became  nominally 
guardian  of  the  king,  and,  in  reality,  his  gaoler.  He 
himself  assumed  the  office  of  Chancellor  of  the 
Kingdom,  he  made  his  uncle  Treasurer,  and  they 
compelled  the  king  to  sign  everything  which  they 
presented  to  him.  At  last,  in  May,  1528,  the  king 
escaped ;  and  from   that  day  to   the  end   of  his 


THE  NOBLES.    CAUSES  OF  THE  REFORMATION.  1 07 

reign,  he  pursued  Angus  and  his  accomplices  with 
relentless  severity. 

Angus's  estates  were  forfeited,  and  he  was  forced 
to  flee  to  England.  James  appointed  the  Archbishop 
of  Glasgow,  Chancellor ;  the  Abbot  of  Holyrood, 
Treasurer  ;  and  the  Bishop  of  Dunkeld,  Keeper  of  the 
Privy  Seal.  When  the  nobles  were  thus  excluded 
from  the  government,  they  began  to  show  a  leaning 
toward  the  doctrines  of  the  Reformation  Hating  the 
clergy  they  became  enraged  at  the  ecclesiastical  in- 
fluence over  the  king  ;  and  as  time  passed  and  the 
prospects  of  the  division  of  the  Church  lands 
approached,  they  grew  firmer  in  their  adherence  to 
the  principles  of  the  Reformation. 

But  there  were  many  causes  of  the  Reformation, 
external  and  internal.  The  external  causes  were 
selfish  and  transient,  and  when  the  aims  which 
stimulated  their  activity  were  gained,  they  ceased  to 
operate.  But  the  real  religious  sentiment  was  con- 
stant in  its  action  and  persistent  in  its  manifestation 
in  the  face  of  fearful  odds,  till  it  attained  its  complete 
triumph  in  the  recognition  of  religious  freedom.  The 
religious  feeling,  aspiration,  and  idea,  were  the  real 
causes  of  the  Reformation  ;  and  they  involved  social 
and  political  issues  which  were  not  foreseen  by  the 
politicians  of  the  period.  Political  combinations  in 
some  quarters  accelerated,  and  in  others  retarded,  the 
religious  movement  ;  but  all  the  political  powers  in 
the  world  could  have  neither  accomplished  nor  pre- 
vented the  final  consummation  of  the  Reformation. 
No  external  power  can  extinguish  the  internal  opera- 
tions of  the  human  mind. 


108         THE  REFORMATION  IN  SCOTLAND. 


In  1525,  Parliament  prohibited  the  importation  of 
Luther's  books,  and  the  propagation  of  his  damnable 
opinions  ;  for  the  Scots  had  always  adhered  to  the 
holy  faith,  and  had  never  yet  admitted  any  contrary 
opinion.  Tyndale's  version  of  the  New  Testament 
was  brought  into  Scotland  in  1526,  and  pretty  freely 
circulated.  In  1535,  Parliament  ordered  all  persons 
who  had  heretical  books  to  deliver  them  to  the 
authorities  within  forty  days,  under  the  penalty  of 
imprisonment  and  confiscation. 

The  first  Scotsman  who  suffered  for  the  new 
opinions  was  Patrick  Hamilton,  the  Abbot  of  Feme. 
He  had  received  the  proscribed  doctrines  from  the 
lips  of  Luther  when  sojourning  in  Germany.  Having 
returned  home  in  1527,  he  began  to  teach  what  he 
had  learned  ;  and  early  in  the  following  year  he  was 
seized  and  imprisoned  in  the  Castle  of  St.  Andrews. 
He  was  tried  for  heresy,  convicted,  condemned,  and 
burned  on  the  29th  of  February,  1528,  before  the 
College  of  St.  Andrews.  He  left  a  short  treatise  in 
Latin,  which  contained  a  summary  of  his  leading 
doctrines,  and  which  was  translated  into  English 
shortly  after  his  death. 

It  was  chiefly  among  the  lower  orders  of  the  clergy 
that  the  new  doctrines  were  embraced.  The  Friars 
were  the  preachers  of  the  time,  and  here  and  there 
they  would  be  found  inveighing  against  the  prevailing 
abuses  of  the  priesthood.  Friar  William  Airth 
had  preached  a  sermon  in  Dundee,  in  which  he 
touched  on  the  lives  of  the  bishops,  and  the  evils 
associated  with  excommunication  ;  whereat  the 
Bishop  of  Brechin's  followers  were  greatly  offended, 


JAMES  V.,  KING  OF  SCOTLAND. 

(From  a  print  in  the  British  Museum.) 


110         THE  REFORMATION  IN  SCOTLAND. 


and  they  buffeted  him  as  a  heretic.  The  Friar 
undaunted,  intimated  that  he  would  again  preach 
in  the  parish  church  of  St.  Andrews  ;  and  on  the 
appointed  day  the  regents  of  the  University  and 
other  persons  of  rank  attended.  He  ascended  the 
pulpit  and  gave  out  the  text,  "  Verity  is  the  strongest 
of  all  things."  He  referred  to  excommunication,  and 
said  that  it  should  not  be  applied  for  every  light 
cause,  but  only  against  open  and  incorrigible  sinners. 
"  But  now,"  said  he,  "  the  avarice  of  priests  and  the 
ignorance  of  their  office  has  caused  it  altogether  to 
be  utterly  vilified  ;  for  the  priest  whose  duty  it  is 
to  pray  for  the  people,  stands  up  on  Sunday  and 
cries  :  '  One  has  tint  a  spurtle  ;  there  is  a  flail  stolen 
beyond  the  burn  ;  the  good  wife  of  the  other  side  of 
the  gate  has  tint  a  horn  spoon  ;  God's  malison  and 
mine  I  give  to  them  that  know  of  this  gear  and 
restore  it  not ; 1  "  so  that  the  people  only  mocked  such 
cursing. 

The  clergy  held  James  V.  faithful  to  the  Church, 
and  obtained  his  countenance  to  the  persecution  of 
the  heretics.  In  1534,  after  a  truce  of  several  years, 
proceedings  were  taken  against  a  number  of  suspected 
persons,  some  of  whom  fled  to  England,  and  others 
renounced  their  opinions.  Gourly,  a  priest,  and 
Straiton,  a  layman,  however,  adhered  to  their  heresy, 
and  vindicated  their  faith  ;  they  were  condemned  in 
the  presence  of  the  king  (who,  it  is  said,  would  have 
granted  them  grace  but  for  the  intervention  of  the 
bishops),  and  were  hanged  and  burned.  Straiton's 
offence  appears  to  have  originated  in  his  refusal  to 
pay  teinds  to  the  prior  of  St.  Andrews  for  fish  caught 


112 


THE  REFORMATION  IN  SCOTLAND. 


in  his  boat  at  sea.  *If  they  would  have  teind 
thereof,  which  his  servants  won  in  the  sea,  It  were  but 
reason,"  he  said,  "they  should  come  and  receive  it 
where  he  got  the  stock." 

Henry  VIII.  wished  James  to  throw  off  the 
authority  of  the  Pope,  and  would  gladly  have  seen 
the  two  countries  brought  together  by  a  marriage 
with  his  daughter,  the  Princess  Mary;  but  his  plans 
came  to  nothing.  In  1537,  James  married  Magdalen, 
daughter  of  the  King  of  France.  She  died  a  few 
months  after  her  arrival  in  Scotland  ;  and  in  the 
following  year  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of  the 
Duke  of  Guise.  The  French  alliance  was  thus 
secured,  and  the  policy  of  the  clergy  confirmed. 

The  king  pursued  his  policy  of  crushing  the 
nobles.  In  1541,  Parliament  passed  an  Act  confirm- 
ing the  revocation  of  all  grants  of  land,  customs, 
borough  rents,  fishings,  and  gifts,  which  had  been 
made  during  the  king's  minority.  Another  Act 
annexed  to  the  Crown  the  Western,  Orkney,  and 
the  Shetland  Islands ;  and  also  the  lordships  of 
Douglas,  Bothwell,  Preston,  Tantallon,  Crawford, 
Lindsay,  Bonhill,  Jedburgh  Forest,  Glammis,  Liddes- 
dale,  Evandale,  and  the  earldom  of  Angus,  with  all 
that  belonged  to  it.  Though  these  acts  were  within 
the  limits  of  the  constitution,  they  were% overbold,  as 
the  Crown  had  not  the  power  to  enforce  them.  The 
nobles  were  nervously  apprehensive,  and  their  feelings 
soon  became  manifest 

While  these  events  were  passing  at  home,  Henry 
VIII.  was  assuming  a  more  dictatorial  tone,  and 
making  demands  which  Scotland  could  not  entertain. 


SOLWAY  MOSS.     DEATH  OF  JAMES  V.  I13 


In  1542,  taking  the  occasion  of  James's  failing  to 
appear  at  an  appointed  conference  at  York,  he  pro- 
claimed war.  James  mustered  his  army  and  marched 
southward,  but  tidings  came  that  the  English  army 
had  disbanded  ;  and  the  Scotch  nobles  then  declined 
to  follow  their  king.  Their  opportunity  had  come, 
and  they  resolved  to  mortify  the  man  who  had  dared 
to  encroach  upon  the  rights  of  their  class.  The  king 
was  forced  to  disband  the  army.  But  he  was  ex- 
tremely loth  to  abandon  his  intention  of  retaliating 
on  Henry  VIII.,  and  shortly  after  it  was  agreed  that 
a  smaller  force  should  make  a  raid  across  the  border. 
This  army  mustered,  advanced,  and  was  approaching 
English  ground  when  Oliver  Sinclair,  one  of  the 
king's  favourites,  began  to  read  the  commission 
which  appointed  himself  to  the  chief  command. 
The  nobles  present  were  enraged  at  this  new  en- 
croachment upon  their  hereditary  rights,  a  storm  of 
indignation  ensued,  and  all  discipline  was  forgotten. 
Lord  Dacre,  the  English  leader,  who  was  near  at 
hand  with  three  hundred  cavalry,  when  he  observed 
the  confusion  of  the  Scots,  dashed  in  amongst  them, 
and  in  an  instant  the  Scottish  army  was  scattered. 
A  number  of  prisoners  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  and  among  them  nine  nobles.  This  disaster 
is  known  in  history  as  the  panic  of  Solway  Moss. 
When  the  tidings  reached  <the  king  it  broke  his 
spirit  ;  he  brooded  over  his  disappointment  and 
disgrace,  gradually  sank  into  a  helpless  state,  and 
expired  on  the  14th  of  December,  1542. 

The  Crown  then  fell  to  an  infant  Mary  Stuart, 
born  in  the  palace  of  Linlithgow  seven  days  before 


THE  EARL  OF  ARRAN. 
{Painter  unknown.) 


BIRTH  OF  MARY.     EARL  OF  ARRAN  REGENT.  115 


the  death  of  her  father.  She  was  destined  to  become 
the  most  famous  of  the  long  line  of  Scottish 
sovereigns.  In  her  infancy  and  innocent  childhood 
she  was  an  object  of  fierce  contention.  Her  youth 
and  beauty,  her  talents  and  accomplishments,  her 
success  and  failure,  the  strength  and  weakness  of  her 
character,  her  long  captivity  and  tragic  end — all 
concurred  to  fill  the  story  of  her  life  with  the  most 
absorbing  interest. 

James  Hamilton,  Earl  of  Arran,  being  next  heir  to 
the  throne,  was  elected  regent.  When  Henry  VIII. 
heard  of  these  events,  he  at  once  formed  the  idea 
that  he  should  have  the  infant  queen  for  a  wife  to  his 
son,  and  it  occurred  to  him  that  the  banished  Earl  of 
Angus,  and  the  Scotch  nobles  taken  at  Solway  Moss, 
might  be  made  useful  agents  for  advancing  his 
scheme.  He  proposed  to  them  accordingly  that  they 
should  exert  themselves  to  place  the  infant  queen  in 
his  hands.  To  this  Angus  and  several  others  con- 
sented, agreeing  also  to  recognise  Henry  as  Lord 
Superior  of  Scotland,  and  to  place  the  national  castles 
in  his  hands.  The  bond  was  drawn  with  great 
formality,  but  Henry  gained  nothing  by  it. 

The  Regent  Arran  was  not  a  man  capable  of 
great  resistance,  and,  left  to  himself,  the  temptations 
which  were  held  out  to  him,  and  which  included  the 
marriage  of  his  son  to  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  would 
have  made  him  yield  to  the  English  king  ;  but  the 
strength  of  the  national  feeling  against  England 
proved  fatal  to  the  scheme.  So  far  had  it  gone  that 
treaties  establishing  an  alliance  between  England  and 
Scotland  and  agreeing  to  a  marriage  between  Prince 


Il6  THE  REFORMATION  IN  SCOTLAND. 

Edward  and  the  young  Queen  of  Scots  had  been 
concluded,  subject  only  to  ratification  by  the  Scottish 
Parliament.  The  clergy,  headed  by  Cardinal  Beaton 
(who,  on  the  death  of  his  uncle  in  1539,  had 
become  Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews),  were  vehement 
against  the  scheme.  There  was  much  diplomatic 
wrangling,  but  the  Cardinal  triumphed.  In  December 
1543,  Parliament  repudiated  the  treaties,  and,  in  the 
presence  of  the  French  ambassadors,  renewed  the 
ancient  league  with  France. 

Henry  declared  war,  and  avowed  his  intention  of 
taking  the  infant  queen  by  force.  On  the  nth  of 
April,  1544,  he  issued  instructions  to  the  Earl  of 
Hertford,  which  were  marked  with  a  ferocity  of  spirit 
unmatched  in  the  annals  of  Europe.  The  earl  was 
ordered  to  make  an  inroad  into  Scotland  :  "  There  to 
put  all  to  fire  and  sword,  to  burn  Edinburgh  town, 
and  to  raze  and  deface  it,  when  you  have  sacked  it 
and  gotten  what  you  can  of  it,  as  there  may  remain 
for  ever  a  perpetual  memory  of  the  vengeance  of 
God  lighted  upon  it  for  their  falsehood  and  dis- 
loyalty. .  .  .  Sack  Holyrood  House  and  as  many 
towns  and  villages  about  Edinburgh  as  ye  con- 
veniently can.  Sack  Leith,  and  burn  and  subvert  it, 
and  all  the  rest,  putting  man,  woman,  and  child  to 
fire  and  sword  without  exception,  when  any  resistance 
shall  be  made  against  you.  And  this  done,  pass  over 
to  the  Fife  land,  and  extend  like  extremities  and 
destructions  in  all  towns  and  villages  whereunto  ye 
may  reach  conveniently,  not  forgetting  amongst  all 
the  rest,  so  to  spoil  and  turn  upside  down  the  Car- 
dinal's town  of  St.  Andrews,  as  the  upper  stone  may 


HOLYROOD  ABBEY . 


Il8  THE  REFORMATION  IN  SCOTLAND. 


be  the  nether,  and  not  one  stick  stand  by  another, 
sparing  no  creature  alive  within  the  same,  specially 
such  as  either  in  friendship  or  blood  be  allied  to  the 
Cardinal.  The  accomplishment  of  all  this  shall  be 
most  acceptable  to  the  majesty  and  honour  of  the 
king."  Hertford  carried  out  his  instructions,  and  led 
two  expeditions  into  Scotland,  one  in  May,  1544,  and 
another  in  September.  Towns  and  villages  one  after 
another  were  sacked  and  burned  ;  and  the  monas- 
teries of  Melrose,  Kelso,  Holyrood,  Jedburgh,  Dry- 
burgh,  and  other  religious  houses,  were  committed  to 
the  flames. 

The  instructions  to  Hertford  reveal  not  only  the 
bitterness  of  Henry's  feeling  towards  the  Scots,  but 
also  his  especial  detestation  of  Cardinal  Beaton,  who 
was  the  chief  opponent  of  his  policy.  Numerous 
plots  existed  against  the  Cardinal's  life.  Henry 
encouraged  them,  and  in  effect  offered  a  reward  to 
any  one  who  would  rid  him  of  his  enemy.  "  And  if 
the  execution  of  this  matter,"  wrote  Sir  Ralph  Sadler 
to  the  Laird  of  Brunston,  doth  rest  only  upon  the 
reward  of  the  king's  majesty  to  such  as  shall  be  the 
executors  of  the  same,  I  pray  you  advertise  me  what 
reward  they  do  require,  and  if  it  be  not  unreasonable, 
because  I  have  been  in  your  country,  for  the  Christian 
zeal  that  I  bear  to  the  common  weal  of  the  same,  I 
will  undertake  it  shall  be  paid  immediately  upon  the 
act  executed,  though  I  do  myself  bear  the  charge  of 
the  same,  which  I  would  think  well  employed." 

Meanwhile  the  persecution  of  those  who  had 
accepted  the  reformed  doctrines,  which  were  gradually 
spreading  among  the  people,  was  undertaken  with 


CARDINAL  BEATON. 

(From  a  print  in  the  British  Museum.) 


120  THE  REFORMATION  IN  SCOTLAND. 


increased  vigour.  The  Cardinal  held  a  court  at 
Perth  in  January,  1544,  and  many  persons  were 
summoned  and  accused  of  heresy.  A  number  of 
them  were  banished  ;  but  four  men,  James  Hunter,  a 
flesher  ;  William  Anderson,  a  maltman  ;  James  Randl- 
son,  a  skinner  ;  Robert  Lamb,  a  burgess  of  Perth,  and 
his  wife — were  all  condemned  to  death,  The  men 
were  hanged  ;  but  the  helpless  woman,  who  had  an 
infant  at  her  breast,  was  drowned.  She  gave  her 
infant  to  the  attendants,  her  hands  and  feet  were 
bound,  and  she  was  thrown  into  a  pool  of  wrater. 

George  Wishart,  a  popular  reformed  preacher, 
returned  to  Scotland  in  the  end  of  1544.  He  was 
supported  by  the  Earls  of  Cassillis  and  Glencairn,  the 
Lairds  of  Brunston,  Ormiston,  and  Calder,  who  were 
deeply  in  league  with  Henry  VIIL,  and  were  plotting 
the  murder  of  Cardinal  Beaton  ;  but  the  evidence  is 
not  conclusive  that  Wishart  was  implicated  in  the 
plot.  On  the  16th  of  January,  1546,  Wishart  was 
preaching  in  Haddington,  accompanied  by  John 
Knox.  That  same  night  he  was  apprehended  at 
Ormiston  by  the  Earl  of  Bothwell,  and  conveyed 
first  to  Edinburgh  and  shortly  after  to  St.  Andrews. 
He  was  tried  for  heresy  on  the  28th  of  February, 
condemned,  and  executed  on  the  nth  of  March. 
The  burning  of  this  man  aroused  a  deep  feeling  in 
the  popular  mind,  and  many  ventured  to  say  that  they 
would  not  suffer  the  life  of  innocent  men  to  be  taken 
away. 

The  Cardinal  had  endeavoured  to  strengthen  his 
position  by  the  old  custom  of  bonds  with  the  nobles, 
the  Scotch  faction  opposed  to  his  policy  were  dis- 


HOUSE  OF  CARDINAL  BEATON. 


122  THE  REFORMATION  IN  SCOTLAND. 

credited,  and  he  was  secure  on  the  side  of  France. 
He  passed  through  Fife,  and  attended  the  marriage 
of  one  of  his  natural  daughters  at  Finhaven  Castle. 
When  enjoying  himself,  tidings  came  that  Henry  was 
preparing  to  invade  Scotland,  and  he  hurried  home 
to  put  his  castle  in  a  defensive  state.  At  that  very 
time  his  enemies  had  matured  their  plot  to  murder 
him.  He  was  living  in  his  castle  of  St.  Andrews,  and 
had  a  number  of  men  engaged  in  repairing  it.  Early 
on  the  morning  of  the  29th  of  May,  1546,  Norman 
Lesly  and  other  two  men  slipped  into  the  castle. 
They  were  followed  by  James  Melville  and  other 
three,  who  asked  an  interview  with  the  Cardinal,  and 
immediately  after  the  Laird  of  Grange  approached 
with  eight  armed  men.  This  roused  the  suspicion  of 
the  porter  at  the  gate,  but  he  was  instantly  stabbed 
and  cast  into  the  ditch,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
party  were  within  the  walls  of  the  castle.  With 
surprising  alacrity  its  defenders  and  the  workmen  on 
the  ramparts  were  turned  out,  and  all  the  gates  shut 
and  guarded.  The  unusual  noise  aroused  the  Car- 
dinal from  his  bed,  and  he  was  ascending  the  stair 
when  his  enemies  came  upon  him  and  ruthlessly 
murdered  him.  Meanwhile  the  alarm  was  raised  in 
the  city  ;  the  common  bell  was  rung,  the  citizens  and 
the  provost  rushed  in  confusion  to  the  castle,  and 
called  warmly  and  loudly  for  the  Cardinal,  but  they 
were  too  late.  Thus  perished  the  ablest  champion 
of  Roman  Catholicism  in  the  kingdom. 


IX. 


REFORMATION   MOVEMENT  TO  THE  OVERTHOW  OF 
THE  ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  SCOTLAND. 

The  sixteen  conspirators,  joined  by  one  hundred 
and  fifty  others,  succeeded  for  more  than  a  year  in 
holding  the  castle  of  St.  Andrews  against  the  regent. 
In  April,  1547,  John  Knox  joined  the  garrison,  and 
in  May  he  assumed  the  functions  of  a  preacher.  A 
congregation  was  formed  in  the  city,  to  whom  he 
ministered,  and  a  number  of  the  citizens  embraced 
the  reformed  doctrines.    After  the  siege  had  lasted 
several  months,  the  besiegers  saw  that  they  could  not 
take  the  place  without  investing  it  by  sea  as  well 
as  by  land,  and,  owing  to  the  presence  of  the  English 
ships,  this  was  impossible.    In  the  end  of  June,  1547, 
however,  a  number  of  French  galleys  appeared  in 
sight,  and  the  attack  was  renewed  from  the  seaward 
side.   This  soon  brought  the  defenders  to  submission. 
The  garrison  surrendered  to  the  French  commander, 
and  were  conveyed  to  France.    Some  of  the  chief 
men  were  imprisoned  ;  the  others,  amongst  whom 
were  John  Knox  and  James  Balfour  and  his  two 
brothers,  were  condemned  to  work  as  galley-slaves. 


PORTRAIT  AND  AUTOGRAPH  OF  JOHN  KNOX. 

{From  the  engraving  in  BezcCs  "  Icones") 


SOMERSETS  INVASION. 


125 


In  1549  Knox  obtained  his  liberty,  came  to  England, 
and  preached  in  Berwick  and  Newcastle.  He  was 
appointed  one  of  King  Edward's  chaplains  in  1551. 
In  March,  1554,  he  left  England  and  passed  to 
Geneva. 

Henry  VIII.  died  in  January,  1547,  while  the 
castle  of  St.  Andrews  was  still  untaken,  but  his 
policy  was  continued.  Lord  Hertford,  now  Duke  of 
Somerset,  carried  on  the  invasion  of  Scotland.  The 
Scots  were  reduced  to  great  extremities.  Their 
crowning  blow  seemed  to  have  come  in  a  disastrous 
defeat  at  Pinkie  in  the  autumn  of  1547.  Next 
year,  however,  a  French  army  of  seven  thousand  men 
arrived  to  assist  them  ;  the  young  queen  was  sent  to 
France,  and  thus  one  object  of  the  war  was  removed. 
After  many  severe  struggles,  the  French  and  the 
Scots  drove  the  English  out  of  the  castles  and 
recovered  the  southern  part  of  the  kingdom.  Peace 
was  at  length  concluded  in  1550. 

Though  the  pressure  of  external  enemies  was 
removed,  the  internal  religious  struggle  proceeded. 
As  the  conflict  of  the  old  and  the  new  religious  views 
became  clearer,  and  the  shadow  of  the  revolution  was 
seen  approaching,  the  Church  and  the  Government 
acutely  felt  the  gravity  of  the  issues.  In  the  ten 
years  preceding  1560  four  provincial  councils  of  the 
Church  were  held  in  Scotland,  at  which  were  enacted 
one  hundred  and  thirty-one  canons,  mostly  directed 
against  the  immoral  lives  of  the  clergy,  their  igno- 
rance, and  the  neglect  of  their  duties.  A  strict  and 
exhaustive  search  was  ordered  for  heresy  and  here- 
tical books,  and  especially  poems  and  ballads.  The 


MARY  OF  GUISE,  QUEEN  REGENT. 


EXECUTION  OF  ADAM  WALLACE. 


12; 


party  who  wished  to  redress  abuses  without  demo- 
lishing the  old  Church  prepared  a  catechism  in  the 
vernacular  for  the  use  of  the  clergy,  which  is 
characterised  by  moderate  statement  and  by  grace 
of  manner  and  of  composition.  It  was  intended  as  a 
manual  for  the  clergy  to  be  read  to  the  people.  But 
all  the  canons  and  the  catechism  were  of  no  avail  ; 
the  accumulated  corruptions  of  many  generations  had 
resulted  in  a  system  of  institutions  incapable  of  refor- 
mation from  within  ;  the  features  of  purity,  the  love 
of  truth  and  justice,  had  departed  from  their  walls 
and  altars  ;  the  great  ethical  principles  at  the  heart 
of  all  true  religion  had  waxed  dim,  and  there  were 
no  glowing  rays  to  lighten  up  the  darkness  which 
enveloped  the  Church. 

In  the  end  of  the  summer  of  1550,  Adam  Wallace, 
a  layman  from  Ayrshire,  a  man  of  humble  rank,  was 
accused  of  heresy.  He  was  tried  in  Edinburgh  before 
the  bishops,  the  regent,  the  Earl  of  Huntly,  and  others. 
Amongst  other  things  he  was  accused  of  having 
assumed  to  preach  without  authority,  and  of  read- 
ing the  Scriptures.  He  denied  having  preached  in 
public,  but  admitted  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
reading  the  Bible,  and  that  he  had  given  such  exhor- 
tation as  God  had  pleased  to  give  him.  One  of  his 
accusers  said,  "  What,  then,  shall  we  leave  to  the 
bishops  and  kirkmen  to  do,  if  every  man  shall  be 
a  babbler  upon  the  Bible  ?  "  Questions  were  put  to 
him  touching  the  sacraments,  prayer  for  the  dead, 
and  other  points.  At  last  the  Earl  of  Huntly  asked 
him  what  he  thought  of  the  mass.  Wallace  replied, 
"  That  which  is  io  greatest  estimation  before  men 


128  THE  REFORMATION  MOVEMENT. 


is  abomination  before  God  ;  "  whereat  they  all  cried 
out,  "  Heresy  !  heresy  !  "  He  was  condemned,  and 
burned  on  the  Castle  Hill  of  Edinburgh. 

Arran's  regency  was  approaching  its  close. 
Through  the  vacillating  character  of  his  govern- 
ment he  had  fallen  in  public  estimation,  and  the 
queen's  mother  was  aspiring  to  the  regency,  and 
exerting  all  her  influence  to  obtain  it.  Arran's 
party  dwindling  away,  he  resigned  the  regency  in 
April,  1554,  and  Mary  of  Guise  took  his  place.  She 
was  a  woman  of  exceptional  talents,  and  had  acquired 
some  knowledge  of  the  character  and  habits  of  the 
Scots ;  but  she  had  many  adverse  influences  and 
circumstances  to  contend  against.  Nevertheless,  she 
ruled  with  remarkable  moderation,  and  showed  much 
sagacity  and  tact. 

During  the  period  of  reaction  and  persecution  in 
England  under  Mary  and  Philip  of  Spain,  a  number 
of  Scotsmen  who  had  formerly  fled  across  the  border 
returned  home.  Knox  came  back  in  September, 
1555,  and  preached  zealously  against  the  mass. 
Amongst  the  hearers  who  approved-  his  doctrines 
were  the  Prior  of  St.  Andrews,  afterwards  known 
as  the  Regent  Moray,  the  Earl  of  Argyle  (then  Lord 
Lome),  and  other  leading  men.  The  Catholic 
clergy  were  alarmed,  and  Knox  was  summoned  to 
appear  at  Edinburgh  on  the  15th  of  May,  1556.  He 
resolved  to  appear,  but  when  Erskine  and  other 
nobles  who  professed  the  new  doctrines  met  in 
Edinburgh  in  force,  the  citation  of  Knox  was 
abandoned.  On  the  day  that  he  should  have 
appeared  in  court,  he  preached  in  Edinburgh  to  a 


REFORMED  PREACHERS. 


129 


larger  audience  than  had  ever  listened  to  him.  Soon 
after  came  to  him  a  summons  from  the  congregation 
it  Geneva  to  repair  to  them  as  their  pastor,  and 
thither  he  proceeded  accordingly. 

Immediately  after  his  departure  the  bishops  again 
summoned  him,  and,  on  his  failure  to  appear,  had 
him  burnt  in  effigy  at  the  cross  of  Edinburgh.  But 


JOHN  KNOX'S  HOUSE. 

the  reformed  doctrines  continued  to  spread.  William 
Harlavv,  originally  a  tailor,  a  man  of  great  zeal;  John 
Willock,  a  native  of  Ayrshire,  who  in  England  had 
suffered  imprisonment  for  the  faith  ;  John  Douglas,  a 
reformed  friar;  Paul  Methven,  originally  a  baker;  and 
others,  preached  the  new  doctrines  with  great  accept- 


I30  THE  REFORMATION  MOVEMENT. 


ance  in  various  parts  of  the  kingdom.  A  number  of 
the  landed  aristocracy  came  to  an  understanding  as 
adherents  of  the  Reformation  movement,  for  they 
had  cast  their  eyes  on  the  property  of  the  Church, 
and  this  perhaps  more  than  anything  else  stimulated 
them  to  hasten  on  the  revolution.  In  December, 
1557,  they  joined  in  a  bond  known  as  the  First 
Covenant,  to  assist  each  other  in  advancing  the 
reformation  of  religion,  in  maintaining  God's  true 
congregation,  and  renouncing  the  congregation  of 
Satan.  Among  those  who  subscribed  this  vigorously 
worded  document  were  the  Earls  of  Argyle,  Glen- 
cairn,  and  Morton,  the  Lord  of  Lome,  and  John 
Erskine,  of  Dun.  The  leaders  of  the  movement 
came  to  be  known  as  "  the  Lords  of  the  Congre- 
gation." 

The  feelings  of  the  people  began  to  appear  in 
many  ways.  Images  were  stolen  and  broken,  and 
monasteries  were  defaced.  In  Edinburgh  the  great 
image  of  St.  Giles  was  first  drowned  in  the  North 
Loch,  and  afterwards  burned.  In  some  places  the 
images  were  hanged  in  mockery.  At  the  same  time 
popular  ballads  and  rhymes  appeared,  in  which  the 
clergy  and  the  abuses  of  Catholicism  were  sharply 
and  effectively  assailed  ;  and  all  the  efforts  of  the 
government  to  suppress  this  class  of  writings  utterly 
failed.  The  rhymed,  dramatic,  and  satirical  writings 
of  Sir  David  Lindsay  had  a  vast  influence  on  the 
people  in  relation  to  the  Reformation — exposing  the 
abuses  and  corruptions  of  the  existing  system,  and 
completely  destroying  the  national  veneration  so 
long  associated  with  it.    Lindsay's  composition  and 


EXECUTION  OF  MILL. 


131 


phraseology  is  coarse  and  vulgar,  but  it  was  effec- 
tive for  its  purpose.  Indeed,  his  satire  is  too  coarse 
for  quotation  ;  although  his  writings  throw  much 
light  on  the  state  of  society. 

In  April,  1558,  Walter  Mill,  an  old  man  of  over 
eighty  years,  a  reformed  priest,  was  apprehended  and 
imprisoned  in  St.  Andrews,  and,  being  brought  to 
trial,  was  convicted  of  heresy  and  burned.  His 
execution  tended  to  inflame  the  minds  of  the  people 
and  strengthen  the  position  of  the  reform  party, 
whose  leaders  gave  warning  that,  unless  such  cruelties 
were  stayed,  they  would  be  compelled  to  take  up  the 
sword  for  conscience'  sake. 

The  queen  regent  for  a  time  made  a  show  of 
conciliation,  but  the  French  influence  impelled  her 
to  open  hostility.  In  1559,  after  a  meeting  of  the 
Ecclesiastical  Council,  a  proclamation  was  issued 
prohibiting  any  person  from  preaching  without 
authority  from  the  bishops,  and  commanding  the 
observance  of  the  rites  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Four 
of  the  chief  preachers  were  cited  to  appear  before  the 
Justiciary  Court  at  Stirling  on  the  10th  of  May,  1559, 
for  convening  the  people,  preaching  erroneous  doc- 
trines, and  inciting  them  to  sedition.  The  Lords  of 
the  Congregation  resolved  to  protect  the  preachers 
and  mustered  their  feudal  followers  at  Perth.  John 
Knox  had  landed  at  Leith  on  the  2nd  of  May,  and 
proceeded  to  join  his  brethren.  An  attempt  was 
made  to  effect  an  arrangement  with  the  regent,  who 
promised  to  withdraw  the  citations,  but  she  broke  her 
word.  The  accused  preachers  were  summoned,  and, 
failing  to  appear,  were  proclaimed  rebels. 


I32  THE  REFORMATION  MOVEMENT. 

This  breach  of  faith  so  excited  the  people  that 
only  an  occasion  was  needed  to  drive  them  to  violence. 
On  the  nth  of  May,  after  Knox  had  preached  a 
vehement  sermon  against  the  mass  in  the  parish 
church  of  Perth,  a  priest  was  so  imprudent,  or  so 
contemptuous,  as  to  uncover  an  altar  in  order  to  say 
mass.  A  youth  exclaimed,  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
"This  is  intolerable,  that  when  God,  by  His  Word, 
hath  plainly  damned  idolatry,  we  shall  stand  and  see 
it  used  in  despite."  The  priest  gave  him  a  blow  ;  he 
threw  a  stone  at  the  priest  which  struck  the  tabernacle 
and  broke  one  of  the  images.  Instantly  the  multi- 
tude proceeded  to  cast  stones  and  to  tear  down  the 
altars  and  images  and  to  destroy  every  vestige  of  the 
ornaments  of  the  church.  The  mob  proceeded  to 
sack  the  monasteries  of  Grey  Friars,  Black  Friars, 
and  Charterhouse,  and  such  was  the  destruction,  that 
"  within  two  days,"  says  Knox,  "  the  walls  only  did 
remain  of  all  these  great  edifications."  This  example 
was  followed  in  other  places  ;  and  in  an  incredibly 
short  time  most  of  the  religious  houses  in  the 
kingdom  were  despoiled  of  their  altars,  images,  and 
monuments. 

The  regent  threatened  the  heavy  punishment  of  all 
who  had  taken  part  in  the  outbreak  at  Perth  ;  but  she 
soon  discovered  that  her  power  was  not  commensurate 
with  her  wishes.  The  Lords  of  the  Congregation 
issued  several  manifestoes  to  the  regent  and  to  others 
in  authority,  all  pervaded  by  a  conviction  of  the  truth 
and  justice  of  their  cause,  and  breathing  a  spirit  of 
defiance  and  determination  to  carry  out  their  views  of 
reform.    One  of  them,  addressed  "  To  the  generation 


LORDS  OF  THE  CONGREGATION   MANIFESTO.  133 


of  Antichrist,  the  pestilent  prelates  and  their  shave- 
lings within  Scotland,"  concluded  thus:  u  We  shall 
begin  that  same  war  that  God  commanded  the 
Israelites  to  execute  against  the  Canaanites  ;  that  is, 
contract  of  peace  shall  never  be  made,  till  ye  desist 
from  your  open  idolatry  and  cruel  persecution  of 
God's  children.  And  this  we  signify  unto  you  in  the 
name  of  the  eternal  God,  and  of  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 
whose  verity  we  profess,  and  evangel  we  will  have 
preached,  and  holy  sacraments  rightly  ministrate,  so 
long  as  God  will  assist  us  to  gainstand  your  idolatry. 
Take  this  for  advertisement,  and  be  not  deceived." 

The  Lords  of  the  Congregation  were  assembled 
in  Perth  with  a  considerable  force  under  them.  The 
regent's  French  troops  advanced  as  far  as  Auch- 
terarder,  when  an  arrangement  was  made  through  the 
influence  of  the  Earl  of  Argyle  and  Stuart,  the  Prior 
of  St.  Andrews.  The  regent  again  broke  faith,  and 
the  prior  and  Argyle  then  left  her  and  joined  the 
Congregation.  The  Lords,  proceeding  rapidly,  invaded 
St.  Andrews,  and  the  primate  fled.  The  regent's 
army  approached,  another  treaty  was  made,  and  this 
also  she  failed  to  keep.  She  was  expecting  reinforce- 
ments from  France  to  crush  the  heresy,  and  was 
desirous  only  of  delay.  Thus,  failing  to  obtain  peace, 
the  Congregation  took  more  vigorous  measures.  One 
division  of  their  army  entered  Perth  on  the  25th  of 
June  ;  another  under  Argyle  and  the  Prior  of  St. 
Andrews  took  possession  of  Edinburgh  on  the  29th, 
and  the  regent  retired  to  Dunbar.  They  demolished 
the  monasteries  of  the  capital,  and  seized  the  coinine 
irons  of  the  Mint. 


134  THE  REFORMATION  MOVEMENT. 


Tidings  came  that  Henry  II.  of  France  was  dead, 
and  the  husband  of  the  Queen  of  Scots  succeeded  to 
the  throne  of  that  kingdom.  This  foreboded  severer 
opposition  to  the  Congregation,  and  they  were  soon 
in  great  distress.  They  left  Edinburgh  on  the  26th 
of  July,  and  retired  to  Stirling. 

In  August  and  September,  a  number  of  French 
troops  disembarked  at  Leith,  and  began  to  fortify  it. 
The  Frenchmen  soon  made  the  defences  so  strong 
that  the  Lords  of  the  Congregation  could  not  hope  to 
take  the  town.  But  they  re-entered  Edinburgh,  and 
issued  a  proclamation  deposing  the  regent  from  all 
authority.  Skirmishing  immediately  began  between 
them  and  the  Frenchmen,  and  in  these  encounters  the 
forces  of  the  Congregation  were  generally  defeated. 
Forced  to  retire  from  Edinburgh,  they  returned  to 
Stirling.  The  reform  party  now  resolved  to  make  an  ur- 
gent request  to  the  English  Government  for  assistance. 

William  Maitland  of  Lethington,  who  had  joined 
the  Congregation,  proceeded  to  London  with  in- 
structions to  treat  with  Elizabeth  and  her  Council, 
who  were  eager  to  detach  Scotland  from  the  French 
alliance.  Knox  had  already  been  won  over  by  Cecil, 
and  Sir  Ralph  Sadler  had  reported  that  the  French 
alliance  was  by  no  means  so  popular  in  Scotland  as 
the  English  Council  imagined.  Much  difficulty  was 
occasioned  by  the  fact  that  Elizabeth,  the  believer  in 
divine  right,  felt  herself  treating  with  a  body  of  men 
at  war  with  their  sovereign.  But  this  was  got  over, 
and  in  January,  1560,  the  treaty  of  Berwick  was  con- 
cluded, whereby  it  was  agreed  to  send  English  forces 
to  expel  the  French  from  Scotland. 


SIEGE  OF  LEITH.     TREATY  OF  EDINBURGH.  135 


An  English  fleet,  with  six  thousand  men,  appeared 
in  the  Firth  of  Forth.  The  united  Scotch  and  English 
forces  besieged  Leith,  but  the  French  defensive  works 
were  strong  and  the  attacks  repeatedly  repulsed. 
The  garrison,  however,  began  to  feel  sorely  pressed, 
and  provisions  were  failing ;  while  the  growing 
strength  of  the  Protestants  in  France  was  rendering 
necessary  the  recall  of  the  French  troops.  Negotia- 
tions were  opened,  and  resulted  in  the  treaty  of 
Edinburgh  on  the  6th  of  July.  It  dealt  with  various 
matters  touching  the  relations  of  France  and  England, 
some  of  which  were  never  ratified.  The  articles  more 
directly  affecting  the  cause  of  the  Congregation  were 
mainly  these  : — That  the  French  troops  should  depart 
(with  the  exception  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men 
who  were  to  hold  the  forts  of  Dunbar  and  Inchkeith)  ; 
that  the  king  and  queen  should  not  make  peace  or 
war  except  with  the  consent  of  the  estates  of  the 
realm  ;  that  neither  the  administration  of  civil  and 
criminal  justice,  nor  the  high  offices  of  the  realm, 
should  be  deputed  to  aliens,  and  that  churchmen  should 
not  hold  the  offices  of  treasurer  and  comptroller  ;  that 
a  parliament  should  be  assembled  in  August,  and  be 
as  lawful  as  if  it  had  been  summoned  by  royal 
authority  ;  that  there  should  be  ordained  "  a  law  of 
oblivion/'  so  that  "  all  remembrance  of  bearing  of 
armour  and  other  things  which  have  been  done,  shall 
be  buried,  earthed,  and  forgot,''  from  the  6th  of  March, 
1558.  Peace  was  proclaimed  on  the  8th  of  July,  and 
a  few  days  after,  the  French  and  English  troops 
departed. 

The  regent  had  retired  into  the  castle  of  Edinburgh 


136 


THE  REFORMATION  MOVEMENT. 


on  the  approach  of  the  English  army.  She  was 
wearied  and  worn  out  with  the  responsibilities  of  her 
position,  and  died  on  the  10th  of  June,  1560. 

Parliament  assembled  in  the  beginning  of  August, 
1560,  and  there  was  an  unusually  large  attendance. 
The  leaders  of  the  Reformation  had  prepared  a 
petition  to  parliament  setting  forth  their  charges 
against  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  indicating- the  ways 
of  redressing  the  existing  enormities.  It  was  a 
sweeping  production  and  rather  vehement  in  expres- 
sion. One  part  of  it  referred  to  the  patrimony  of  the 
Church, but  Parliament  waived  this  important  question, 
and  requested  the  reformers  to  lay  before  the  House 
a  summary  of  the  doctrines  which  they  proposed  to 
establish.  In  four  days  they  produced  a  Confession 
of  Faith  on  the  lines  of  the  Confessions  of  the  other 
Reformed  Churches.  On  the  17th  of  August  the 
Confession  was  read  in  parliament  and  adopted, 
three  only  of  the  nobles  voting  against  it.  The 
bishops  and  clergy  did  not  oppose ;  and  this  fact, 
said  the  Lord  Marischal,  confirmed  him  in  his  belief 
of  its  truth.  Parliament  then  passed  an  Act  pro- 
hibiting, under  penalties,  the  administration  of  the 
mass,  and  another  which  abolished  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Pope  in  Scotland.  These  Acts,  however,  it 
should  be  remembered,  did  not  receive  the  royal 
assent.  The  Scotch  nobles  had  done  their  work,  and 
laid  the  Church  of  their  fathers  in  the  dust ;  here- 
after it  will  appear  what  was  the  depth  of  their 
religious  feelings  and  convictions. 


X. 


REIGN  OF  QUEEN  MARY. 

In  December,  1560,  came  news  of  the  death  of 
Francis  II.  This  event  was  favourable  to  the  leaders 
of  the  Reformation,  for  it  limited,  if  it  did  not  break, 
the  ambitious  schemes  of  the  house  of  Guise.  The 
work  of  reform  proceeded  in  Scotland  ;  and  the 
nation  looked  for  the  early  return  of  their  queen. 

After  a  series  of  interviews  with  James  Stuart,  Prior 
of  St.  Andrews,  her  natural  brother,  and  with  other 
personages,  Mary  resolved  to  return  to  the  home  of 
her  ancestors.  She  embarked  on  the  14th  of  August, 
1 561,  landed  at  Leith  on  the  19th,  and  all  ranks  of 
the  people  hastened  to  welcome  her.  It  was  a  trying 
situation  in  which  she  found  herself.  The  Scotch 
nobles,  her  natural  counsellors,  were  a  turbulent, 
jealous,  and  grasping  class,  while  her  religion  was  an 
offence  to  a  great  and  increasing  number  of  her  sub- 
jects. Four  days  after  her  arrival,  when  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  celebration  of  mass  were  made,  such 
an  outcry  was  raised  that  the  chapel  door  had  to 
be  guarded,  and  order  was  with  difficulty  preserved. 
Next  day  it  was  proclaimed  that  till  the  assembly  of 


MARY  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS. 
(Frcm  a  print  ,n  the  British  Museum.) 


KNOX  AND  QUEEN  MARY. 


139 


the  estates  of  the  realm  no  one  should  take  on 
hand  to  make  any  alteration  or  innovation  of  the 
state  of  religion  which  the  queen  had  found  estab- 
lished at  her  arrival,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that  no 
one  should  molest  any  of  the  queen's  servants  or 
attendants,  in  each  case  under  pain  of  death.  On 
the  following  Sunday  Knox  declaimed  against  the 
mass.  That  one  mass  of  the  previous  week  "  was 
more  fearful  unto  him/'  he  said,  "  than  if  ten  thou- 
sand armed  enemies  were  landed  in  any  part  of  the 
realm,  of  purpose  to  suppress  the  holy  religion." 
Mary  herself  took  him  to  task  for  stirring  up  her 
subjects  against  her,  and  for  teaching  sedition  ;  and 
even  from  Knox's  own  account  of  their  interview, 
which  is  given  in  his  history,  one  can  see  that  she 
stood  her  ground  with  much  spirit  against  his  in- 
tolerant arguments. 

As  yet  the  Reformed  Church  could  hardly  be  said 
to  exist  otherwise  than  on  sufferance,  for  the  head  of 
the  State  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  there  was  no 
provision  for  the  Protestant  ministers.  Knox  and 
his  brethren  were  mistaken  in  supposing  that  the 
Lords  of  the  Congregation  would  transfer  the  pro- 
perty of  the  old  Church  to  the  new  one,  and  they  so 
found  when  the  proposals  for  disposing  of  the  lands 
of  the  old  establishment  came  before  Parliament. 
At  the  General  Assembly  of  1561,  when  it  was  pro- 
posed that  the  queen  should  ratify  the  First  Book  of 
Discipline,  which  presented  a  worthy  and  admirable 
scheme  for  the  application  of  the  Church  revenues, 
the  question  was  asked,  in  jeering  tones — "  How 
many  of  those  who  have  subscribed  that  book  would 


140 


REIGN  OF  QUEEN  MARY. 


be  subject  unto  it  ?"  They  were  sharply  ordered  to 
be  content,  as  their  proposals  could  not  be  enter- 
tained. 

In  December,  1 561,  an  Act  of  the  Privy  Council 
proposed  to  appropriate  a  third  of  the  revenue  of  all 
the  benefices  in  the  kingdom  to  the  Crown.  Thus 
the  Catholic  clergy  were  to  retain  the  rents  of  their 
benefices,  except  this  third  which  was  to  be  applied  to 
the  purposes  of  the  government,  and  to  affording 
a  reasonable  provision  for  the  Protestant  ministry. 
The  Reformed  clergy  were  greatly  displeased  with 
the  arrangement,  and,  in  one  of  his  sermons,  Knox 
said  :  "  Well,  if  the  end  of  this  order,  pretended  to 
be  taken  for  the  sustentation  of  the  ministers,  be 
happy,  my  judgment  fails  me  ;  for  I  am  assured  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  is  not  the  author  of  it  ;  for,  first,  I 
see  two  parts  freely  given  to  the  devil,  and  the  third 
must  be  divided  between  God  and  the  devil.  Well, 
bear  witness  to  me,  that  this  day  I  say  it,  ere  it  be 
long,  the  devil  shall  have  three  parts  of  the  third  ; 
and  judge  you  then  what  God's  portion  shall  be." 
Knox  was  near  the  truth,  for  by  grants  of  lands,  long 
leases,  actual  seizure,  and  other  means,  the  nobles 
appropriated  almost  the  whole  of  the  property  and 
revenue  of  the  Roman  Church. 

The  Earl  of  Huntly,  the  magnate  of  the  north, 
did  not  change  his  religion  ;  but  the  earldom  of 
Moray  was  detached  from  his  possession,  and  given 
to  the  Prior  of  St.  Andrew's,  James  Stuart,  then 
called  Earl  of  Moray.  The  house  of  Huntly  had 
ruled  over  the  smaller  chiefs  in  the  Northern  High- 
lands, and  committed  acts  of  great  injustice.  In 


EARL  OF  HUNTLY.     GAIETY  OF  MARY.  141 


August,  1562,  the  queen  and  Moray  marched  north- 
ward ;  and  Huntly  suspecting  that  a  plot  was  forming 
against  him,  sent  his  wife  to  Aberdeen  to  meet  the 
royal  party  and  ascertain  their  purpose.  She  invited 
the  queen  to  the  castle  of  Strathbogie,  but  Mary 
declined,  and  advanced  to  Inverness.  Some  of  the 
clans  who  had  been  under  Huntly,  now  that  they 
had  the  opportunity,  deserted  his  standard  and  joined 
the  queen.  The  gates  of  the  castle  of  Inverness  were 
closed  against  her,  but  the  castle  was  soon  taken,  and 
the  garrison  hanged.  When  the  royal  party  returned 
to  Aberdeen,  Huntly  and  his  retainers  followed  them. 
An  engagement  ensued,  and  Huntly  was  defeated 
and  slain.  Thus  Moray  crippled  the  strongest  family 
to  the  north  of  the  Tay.  The  queen  proceeded  by 
Dundee,  Perth,  Stirling,  and  reached  Edinburgh  on 
the  2 1st  of  November. 

The  Court  stayed  in  Edinburgh  through  the  winter. 
The  gaiety  of  the  queen  gave  great  offence  to  Knox, 
who  traced  her  excessive  dancing  to  the  progress  of 
the  persecution  in  France  ;  for  "  he  was  assured,"  he 
says,  "  that  the  queen  had  danced  excessively  till 
after  midnight,  because  she  had  received  letters  that 
persecution  was  begun  in  France,  and  that  her  uncles 
were  beginning  to  stir  their  tails  and  to  trouble  the 
whole  realm  of  France" — whereupon  he  preached  a 
sermon  on  the  vices  of  princes.  When  Mary  heard 
of  this  sermon  she  sent  for  Knox  ;  and  he  was 
accused  of  speaking  irreverently,  and  making  the 
queen  an  object  of  hatred  and  contempt  among  her 
people.  In  self-defence,  he  rehearsed  from  memory 
what  he  had  said  in  the  pulpit,  thus  :  "  For  princes 


142 


REIGN  OF  QUEEN  MARY. 


will  not  understand ;  they  will  not  be  learned 
as  God  commands  them.  But  God's  law  they 
despise,  His  statutes  and  holy  ordinances  they  will 
not  understand  ;  for  in  fiddling  and  flinging  they  are 
more  exercised  than  in  reading  or  hearing  God's 
most  blessed  Word ;  and  fiddlers  and  flatterers  (which 
commonly  corrupt  the  youth)  are  more  precious  in 
their  eyes  than  men  of  wisdom  and  gravity.  .  .  . 
And  of  dancing,  Madam,  I  do  not  utterly  damn  it, 
provided  two  vices  be  avoided — the  former  that  the 
principal  vocation  of  those  that  use  that  exercise  be 
not  neglected  for  the  pleasure  of  dancing  ;  and, 
second,  that  they  dance  not,  as  the  Philistines  their 
fathers,  for  the  pleasure  that  they  take  in  the  dis- 
pleasure of  God's  people."  The  queen  said,  "  Your 
words  are  sharp  enough  as  ye  have  spoken  them,  but 
yet  they  were  told  to  me  in  another  manner.  I  know 
that  my  uncles  and  ye  are  not  of  one  religion,  and 
therefore  I  cannot  blame  you,  albeit  you  have  no 
good  opinion  of  them." 

The  flow  of  events  seemed  likely  to  engulf  the 
Reformed  party  in  a  sea  of  trouble.  The  queen 
was  preparing  for  her  marriage  with  the  son  of  the 
Earl  of  Lennox.  After  twenty  years'  banishment, 
the  earl  arrived  in  Edinburgh  on  the  23rd  of  Septem- 
ber, 1564,  and  in  December  his  titles  and  estates 
were  restored.  Henry,  Lord  Darnley,  his  eldest  son, 
came  to  Edinburgh  on  the  12th  of  February,  1565. 
To  him,  failing  direct  heirs  of  Elizabeth  and  Mary, 
would  fall  the  succession  to  both  the  English  and  the 
Scottish  Crowns.  He  was  young  and  handsome,  but 
vain  and  ambitious,  and  devoid  of  ability  and  moral 


DARNLEY.     GENERAL  ASSEMBLY.  I43 

character  ;  and  he  had  not  been  many  weeks  in  Scot- 
land before  he  had  made  enemies.  The  Earl  of 
Moray,  who  had  acted  as  head  of  the  government 
since  the  queen's  return  from  France,  was  strongly 
opposed  to  the  marriage  ;  and  his  party  formed  an 
aversion  to  Darnley.  As  Darnley  was  a  Roman 
Catholic,  this  intensified  the  difficulties  of  the  nation. 
Moray  concerted  measures  to  prevent  the  queen's 
marriage  ;  but  a  special  meeting  of  the  nobles  and 
officers  of  State  was  held  at  Stirling  in  May,  and 


CIPHER  OF  LORD  DARNLEY  AND  QUEEN  MARY. 


Mary  announced  to  them  her  intention  to  marry 
Darnley. 

The  General  Assembly,  in  June,  1565,  passed 
certain  resolutions  for  the  purpose  of  being  enacted 
by  Parliament  and  ratified  by  the  queen.  Amongst 
other  things,  they  demanded  that  the  mass,  with  all 
papistical  idolatry  and  papal  jurisdiction,  should  be 
suppressed  and  abolished  throughout  the  realm,  not 
only  in  the  subjects,  but  also  in  the  queen's  own 
person.    Mary  replied  that  she  was  not  yet  persuaded 


i44 


REIGN  OF  QUEEN  MARY. 


in  the  Protestant  religion,  nor  that  there  was  any 
impiety  in  the  mass  ;  that,  to  deal  plainly  with  her 
subjects,  she  neither  would  nor  might  leave  the 
religion  wherein  she  had  been  nourished  and  brought 
up  ;  that  she  had  not  in  the  past,  and  did  not  intend 
thereafter  to  press  the  conscience  of  any,  and  that 
they  on  their  part  should  not  press  her  conscience. 

Moray  and  his  party  met  at  Stirling  on  the  15th  of 
July,  to  consult  on  the  project  of  rebellion  ;  but  the 
same  day  the  queen  issued  a  proclamation  calling  on 
all  loyal  subjects  to  prepare  themselves  to  attend  her 
for  fourteen  days  in  the  field.  A  general  muster  of 
the  Crown  vassals  was  ordered  on  the  22nd  of  July. 
Offers  were  made  to  Moray  to  appear  before  the 
council  and  obtain  satisfaction.  The  intended 
marriage  was  proclaimed  ;  and  on  the  29th  of  July 
Mary  and  Darnley  were  joined  in  wedlock,  amid  the 
rejoicing  of  the  people  at  Holyrood. 

Moray  and  his  associates — the  Duke  of  Chatel- 
herault,  the  Earls  of  Argyle,  Glencairn,  Rothes,  and 
other  barons — mustered  a  thousand  of  their  followers, 
and  they  were  proclaimed  rebels.  After  trying 
various  movements,  they  were  unable  to  face  the 
royal  army  in  the  field.  They  retired  to  Dumfries, 
and  at  last  disbanded,  and  fled  to  England. 

The  queen  had  triumphed.  Many  of  the  Pro- 
testants thought  that  the  Reformation  would  be 
extinguished  in  Scotland.  There  were  many  plots 
among  the  Roman  Catholic  States  of  Europe  for  the 
total  overthrow  of  all  heresy.  Spain  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  recovery  of  Britain  to  the  Holy  See, 
but  the  stream  of  events  swept  away  this  dream. 


DARN  LEY.     A  PLOT  TO  MURDER  RICCIO.  145 


Mary's  marriage  was  extremely  unhappy.  Her 
husband  was  a  vain  and  vicious  man  ;  and  their 
domestic  quarrels  soon  became  notorious.  The 
queen  had  several  foreigners  in  her  service,  and 
one  named  Riccio  acted  as  her  foreign  secretary  ;  he 
enjoyed  her  confidence,  and  she  occasionally  con- 
sulted him  on  important  matters.  But  Darnley 
imagined  that  Riccio  was  his  enemy,  that  he  had 
prevented  the  queen  from  granting  him  the  Crown 
matrimonial — from  one  silly  thought  to  another  he 
ran  to  the  conclusion  that  Riccio  had  frustrated  his 
object  The  Scotch  nobles  quickly  saw  Darnley's 
weakness.  Seeking  a  way  to  restore  the  rebel 
lords,  they  seized  hold  of  him  as  their  tool,  and  on 
Riccio  as  their  victim. 

Parliament  was  summoned  to  meet  at  Edinburgh 
on  the  4th  of  March,  1 566,  and  it  was  intended  to 
confiscate  the  estates  of  the  rebel  lords  ;  but  they 
had  many  friends  in  Scotland  and  even  in  Parlia- 
ment. The  Scotch  nobles  were  never  deficient  in  de- 
vising plots  for  the  overthrow  of  their  enemies  and  the 
attainment  of  their  own  ends.  Morton,  the  Chancellor 
of  the  kingdom,  Lord  Lindsay,  Lord  Ruthven,  and 
others,  entered  into  a  bond  with  Darnley  for  the 
murder  of  Riccio,  and  to  secure  the  restoration  of  the 
rebel  lords — Moray  and  his  associates.  Darnley  was 
the  mere  plaything  of  the  nobles,  for  they  had  no 
intention  of  elevating  him  to  the  throne  ;  their  chief 
aim  was  to  prevent  the  proceedings  of  Parliament, 
and  thus  preserve  intact  the  estates  of  the  rebel  lords. 

The  plot  was  well  matured,  and  everything  pre- 
pared for  its   realisation.     On  the  7th  of  March 


MURDER  OF  R1CCIO. 


147 


Parliament  was  opened  by  the  queen  in  person,  but 
Darnley,  instead  of  accompanying  her,  rode  off  to 
Leith.  The  evening  of  the  9th  of  March  was  fixed 
for  the  consummation  of  the  dismal  deed.  Morton, 
with  one  hundred  and  sixty  armed  men,  took  posses- 
sion of  the  inner  court  of  the  palace  and  guarded  the 
gates  ;  a  party  of  these  were  placed  in  the  royal 
audience  chamber  on  the  ground  floor.  Thence 
Darnley  ascended  to  the  queen's  apartments,  and 
Lord  Ruthven  accompanied  him.  They  found  their 
victim  sitting  with  his  cap  on  his  head  in  her 
Majesty's  presence ;  some  parley  and  sharp  talk 
passed  between  the  queen  and  Ruthven  ;  but  shortly 
more  of  the  conspirators  rushed  in,  and  instantly  the 
tables  and  chairs  were  overturned,  and  David  Riccio 
was  seized  and  dragged  to  an  outer  room,  and  there 
stabbed  to  death.  A  guard  was  placed  over  the 
queen ;  but  in  spite  of  this  several  persons  escaped 
and  warned  the  citizens  of  Edinburgh.  The  alarm 
bell  was  rung,  the  citizens  rushed  to  the  palace  and 
demanded  the  instant  deliverance  of  the  queen,  but 
she  was  not  permitted  to  speak  to  them.  Darnley 
appeared  and  assured  the  citizens  that  she  was  safe, 
and  commanded  them  to  retire.  Ruthven  and  Darn- 
ley prepared  two  proclamations  to  be  issued  next 
day  in  the  name  of  the  king — the  one  ordered  the 
citizens  to  keep  order  on  the  streets,  the  other  dis- 
solved Parliament,  and  commanded  all  the  members 
to  leave  the  capital,  except  those  whom  the  king 
might  request  to  remain.  Lord  Ruthven  placed  men 
to  watch  the  gates,  but  the  Earls  of  Huntly  and 
Bothwell  escaped. 


THE  REGENT  MORTON. 


REBEL  LORDS  FLED.     BIRTH  OF  JAMES  VI.  I49 

The  following  day  the  rebel  lords  arrived,  seized 
Edinburgh  and  frustrated  the  proceedings  of  Parlia- 
ment. Mary  soon  disengaged  her  husband  from  the 
nobles  who  had  murdered  her  favourite  servant ; 
and  five  days  after  the  tragedy  they  slipped  out  at 
midnight  and  rode  to  Seton  House,  and  thence  to 
Dunbar.  The  rebellious  nobles  rose  in  the  morning 
and  found  that  they  had  been  outwitted,  and  were  in 
imminent  danger.  An  army  quickly  rallied  round 
the  queen,  and  she  advanced  on  Edinburgh.  The 
rebel  nobles  were  not  prepared  to  meet  her,  and  they 
dispersed :  Morton  and  Ruthven  fled  to  England, 
others  fled  to  the  Highlands,  and  some  of  them 
retired  to  their  own  estates.  After  a  short  time  the 
queen  pardoned  Moray  and  some  of  his  associates  ; 
but  she  declined  to  pardon  those  directly  implicated 
in  the  murder  of  Riccio.  Still  only  two  subor- 
dinate persons  were  executed  in  connection  with  this 
crime. 

Mary  retired  into  the  castle  of  Edinburgh,  and  on 
the  19th  of  June,  1566,  James  VI.  of  Scotland  and 
I.  of  England  was  born.  After  this  event,  the  queen 
listened  to  suggestions  for  reconciliation  with  the 
rebellious  nobles.  Though  Huntly  and  Bothwell 
were  at  the  head  of  the  Government,  Moray,  Argyle, 
Glencairn,  and  others,  were  readmitted  to  a  share  in 
the  administration.  Bothwell  had  rapidly  risen  to  a 
high  position. 

A  series  of  stirring  events  and  plots  issuing  in 
tragedy,  and  the  final  disaster  of  the  queen,  occurred 
in  rapid  succession.  The  Scotch  aristocracy  had  long 
pursued  a  line  of  policy  which  directly  depressed  the 


150  REIGN  OF  QUEEN  MARY. 

authority  of  the  Crown,  and  they  would  not  let  an 
opportunity  slip  without  turning  it  to  their  own 

advantage. 

A  plot  for  the  murder  of  Darnley  was  concocted. 
According  tc  custom  a  bond  was  drawn  by  Sir  James 
Balfour,  a  lawyer  and  a  friend  of  Bothwell  ;  the  bond 
declared  that  Darnley  "  was  a  young  fool  and  tyrant, 
and  unworthy  to  rule  over  them."  Therefore  they 
bound  themselves  to  remove  him  by  some  means  or 
other,  and  all  agreed  to  stand  true  to  each  other  in 
this  deadly  enterprise.  The  bond  was  signed  by  the 
Earls  of  Huntly,  Argyle,  Morton,  and  others  who 
joined  the  conspiracy.  Their  victim  had  become 
sick,  and  he  was  visited  by  the  queen  at  Glasgow, 
whence  he  was  conveyed  to  Edinburgh  on  the  last 
day  of  January,  1567.  He  was  put  into  a  house 
close  to  the  city  wall,  called  "  Kirk  of  Field."  The 
queen  was  very  attentive  to  him,  and  for  several 
nights  before  his  murder  she  slept  in  a  room  below 
him. 

At  last  everything  seemed  to  have  been  prepared, 
and  the  evening  of  Sunday,  the  9th  of  February,  was 
fixed  for  the  murder.  In  the  Court  everything  was 
going  on  in  the  most  joyful  fashion  ;  that  evening 
Moray  left  to  join  his  wife  at  St.  Andrews  ;  and  the 
same  night  a  marriage  was  to  be  celebrated  between 
two  of  the  queen's  servants.  Meanwhile  Bothwell 
and  his  accomplices  were  intently  engaged  in  making 
the  preparations  for  their  horrible  deed.  They  had 
resolved  to  blow  up  the  house  by  gunpowder,  and 
after  dark  they  placed  a  large  quantity  of  it  in  the 
room  below  the  king,  and  Bothwell  superintended 


MURDER  OF  DARN  LEY. 


the  operations.  At  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  the 
queen  passed  from  Holyrood  and  joined  her  husband. 
There  was  some  agreeable  conversation  between 
them  ;  and  then  Mary  recollected  that  she  had  pro- 
mised to  attend  the  ball  to  be  held  that  night  in 
honour  of  the  marriage  of  her  two  servants.  She 
bade  Darn  ley  farewell,  and  departed  with  Bothwell 
and  Huntly.  Apparently  only  two  of  the  con- 
spirators remained  about  the  king's  house,  and  at  the 
last  moment  some  hitch  seems  to  have  occurred. 
Darnley  and  his  servant  had  discovered  their  danger 
and  attempted  to  escape,  but  were  caught  in  the 
garden  and  strangled  to  death.  Bothwell,  with  a 
company  of  his  followers,  returned  from  Holyrood 
about  midnight  and  joined  the  other  two  conspirators, 
who  had  already  lighted  the  train.  The  explosion 
shook  the  earth  for  miles  around,  and  roused  the 
citizens  of  Edinburgh ;  and  Bothwell  ran  to  his 
apartment  in  the  palace  and  immediately  went  to 
bed,  only  to  be  awakened  as  if  from  slumber  half 
an  hour  after,  by  a  message  informing  him  of  the 
tragedy,  and  then,  like  an  honest  and  innocent  man, 
he  shouted,  "  Treason  !  Treason  !  "  With  the  Earl 
of  Huntly  he  called  on  the  queen  to  tell  her  what 
had  happened. 

It  was  well  known  that  Bothwell  was  the  chief 
actor  in  the  crime,  but  at  the  time  no  one  would  have 
been  safe  to  accuse  him  ;  and  many  of  the  nobles 
were  deeply  implicated  in  the  conspiracy.  The 
murder  caused  great  excitement  ;  and  printed  bills 
were  fixed  on  the  door  of  the  Parliament  house 
naming  Bothwell,  Balfour,  and  others  as  the  guilty 


152 


REIGN  OF  QUEEN  MARY. 


parties.  Darnley's  remains  were  privately  interred  in 
the  chapel  of  Holyrood  ;  and  the  day  after  the 
queen,  with  Huntly,  Argyle,  Bothwell,  and  the  Arch- 
bishop of  St.  Andrews,  removed  to  Seton  House. 
Bothwell  with  a  party  of  armed  men  on  horseback, 
came  from  Seton  House  to  Edinburgh,  paraded  the 
streets,  and  with  hideous  oaths  and  furious  gestures 
loudly  declared  "  that  if  he  knew  who  were  the 
authors  of  the  bills,  he  would  wash  his  hands  in  their 
blood." 

Rumours  arose  that  the  queen  would  marry  Both- 
well.  The  Earl  of  Lennox  naturally  and  properly 
insisted  that  the  parties  who  had  murdered  his  son 
should  be  brought  to  trial.  At  last  Lennox  was 
summoned  to  attend  the  trial  of  Bothwell  as  a  party  to 
the  action.  The  Council  ordered  Bothwell  and  others 
to  be  tried  by  jury  on  the  12th  of  April,  1567.  On  the 
appointed  day  Bothwell  had  three  thousand  of  his 
armed  retainers  on  the  streets  of  Edinburgh.  The 
Court  met ;  he  appeared  and  certain  forms  of  law 
were  gone  through,  but  no  witnesses  appeared  against 
him,  and  he  was  acquitted.  He  then  published  a 
challenge  offering  single  combat  to  any  one,  noble  or 
common,  rich  or  poor,  who  dared  to  affirm  that  he 
was  guilty  of  the  murder  of  Darnley.  As  no  one 
responded  to  his  challenge,  he  might  aver  that  he 
had  satisfied  the  law  and  the  ancient  custom  of  his 
country. 

Two  days  after  his  trial  Parliament  met,  and  he 
bore  the  crown  and  sceptre  before  the  queen  when 
she  rode  to  the  Parliament  house.  A  number  of  Acts 
were  passed,  chiefly  relating   to  grants   of  lands. 


bothwell's  bond  signed  by  the  nobles.  153 

Bothwell  got  a  grant  of  lands  which  included  the 
castle  of  Dunbar. 

The  day  after  Parliament  rose,  Bothwell  invited  the 
nobility  to  a  banquet  at  an  hotel  in  Edinburgh,  and 
a  large  party  attended.  After  the  red  wine  had  been 
freely  quaffed,  which  made  their  hearts  warm  and 
their  faces  shine,  he  placed  before  them  a  bond  and 
kindly  requested  them  to  sign  it.  The  bond  stated 
that  Bothwell's  private  enemies  had  malignantly 
slandered  and  accused  him  of  complicity  in  the 
heinous  murder  of  the  late  king  ;  but  that  he  was 
now  acquitted,  and  had  also,  according  to  ancient 
custom,  offered  to  prove  his  innocence  by  single 
combat ;  it  referred  to  the  nobleness  of  his  house 
and  the  honourable  service  rendered  by  his  pre- 
decessors to  the  Crown,  and  especially  by  himself 
to  her  Majesty  the  Queen,  "  in  the  defence  of  her 
realm  against  the  enemies  thereof;"  and  considering 
that  it  was  ruinous  to  the  kingdom  for  the  queen 
to  remain  a  widow,  it  went  on  to  recommend 
Bothwell  as  the  most  suitable  match  she  could  obtain 
among  her  own  subjects.  All  those  who  signed  the 
bond  undertook  upon  their  honour  "  to  promote  and 
set  forward  the  marriage  to  be  solemnised  between 
her  highness  and  the  said  noble  lord,  with  our  votes, 
counsel,  and  assistance,  in  word  and  in  deed,  to  the 
utmost  of  our  power,  at  such  time  as  it  should  please 
her  Majesty  to  fix,  and  as  soon  as  the  law  shall 
allow  it  to  be  done."  All  the  nobles  present  signed 
this  bond,  save  the  Earl  of  Eglinton,  who  slipped 
away. 

On  the  2 1st  of  April,  the  queen  visited  her  son  in 


QUEEN  MARY'S  ROOM,  CRAIGMILLER  CASTLE. 


BOTH  WELL  AND  MARY. 


155 


Stirling  Castle,  and  stayed  two  days.  When  return- 
ing to  Edinburgh  she  was  met  by  Bothwell,  at  the 
head  of  a  party  of  his  retainers,  and  conveyed  to  the 
castle  of  Dunbar.  He  shortly  after  conducted  the 
queen  to  the  castle  of  Edinburgh,  and  preparations  for 
the  marriage  were  rapidly  pushed  forward.  Bothwell 
obtained  a  divorce  from  his  own  wife  on  the  7th  of 
May,  1567  ;  the  banns  of  marriage  between  him  and 
the  queen  were  proclaimed  on  the  12th  of  May; 
and,  three  days  after,  their  marriage  was  celebrated  in 
the  palace  of  HolyroocL 

But,  unfortunately,  the  current  of  events  soon 
ruffled  the  happiness  of  the  newly-wedded  pair. 
Troubles  gathered  fast  around  the  unhappy  queen. 
Bothwell  and  she  left  Edinburgh  on  the  7th  of  June, 
and  passed  to  Botherwick  Castle,  about  ten  miles 
south  of  the  capital.  Morton  and  Lord  Home  with 
an  army  appeared  before  it,  and  Mary  and  Bothwell 
escaped  with  difficulty  to  the  castle  of  Dunbar. 
They  were  now  greatly  alarmed,  and  commanded  the 
Crown  vassals  of  the  dibtrict  to  muster  immediately. 
The  opposing  party — the  confederate  nobles — seized 
Edinburgh,  arranged  with  James  Balfour,  the  gover- 
nor of  the  castle,  and  at  once  assumed  all  the 
functions  of  government.  Mary  and  Bothwell  had 
mustered  between  two  and  three  thousand  men,  and 
advanced  upon  Edinburgh.  The  confederate  nobles 
determined  to  meet  them  ;  and  the  two  armies 
approached  each  other  near  Musselburgh.  After  a 
day's  manoeuvring  and  treating,  during  which  Both- 
well  challenged  any  of  his  accusers  to  single  combat, 
two  men  of  the  second  rank  and  several  of  the 


REIGN  OF  QUEEN  MARY. 


first  stepped  forward  and  offered  to  fight  him  single- 
handed,  but  the  queen  would  not  permit  the  combat. 
At  last  Mary  surrendered  to  the  nobles,  and  Bothwell 
was  allowed  to  ride  off  in  the  direction  of  Dunbar. 
The  queen  was  taken  to  Edinburgh  on  the  15th  of 
June,  and  on  the  17th  she  was  conveyed  a  captive  to 
Lochleven. 

The  confederate  nobles  rapidly  developed  their 


MUSSELBURGH  BRIDGE. 


scheme  in  accordance  with  their  traditions,  which 
simply  consisted  in  taking  the  powers  and  rights  of 
the  Crown  into  their  own  hands.  Accordingly  they 
resolved  to  dethrone  the  queen,  place  the  crown  on 
her  infant  son,  and  appoint  the  Earl  of  Moray  regent. 
In  the  island  of  Lochleven  on  the  23rd  of  June, 
they  presented  two  documents  to  Mary,  which  they 


MARY  A  CAPTIVE.     MORAY  REGENT.  157 


requested  her  to  sign  ;  the  one  was  a  renunciation  of 
her  crown,  and  the  other  the  appointment  of  Moray  to 
the  regency.  Under  severe  pressure  Mary  yielded  to 
these  terms,  and  Parliament  ratified  them.  The  next 
step,  according  to  custom,  was  to  place  the  infant 
upon  the  throne,  and  James  VI.,  a  baby  of  thirteen 
months  old,  was  solemnly  crowned  in  the  parish 
church  of  Stirling  on  the  29th  of  July,  1567.  The 
two  deeds  which  Mary  signed  were  publicly  read  ; 


LOCH  LEVEN  AND  CASTLE. 


the  Earl  of  Morton  took  the  coronation  oath  for  the 
Prince  and  Steward  of  Scotland  ;  then  the  Bishop  of 
Caithness  anointed  him  "  the  most  excellent  Prince 
and  King  of  this  realm. "  John  Knox  concluded  the 
proceedings  by  a  sermon,  which  he  delivered  in  his 
most  vigorous  style.  The  following  day  the  king's 
authority  was  proclaimed  ;  and  the  reign  of  Queen 
Mary,  in  fact  and  in  law,  ceased. 


XL 


CONFLICT  OF  THE  NATION  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE 
CROWNS. 

THUS  far  the  revolutionary  movement  had  awak- 
ened and  stirred  society  ;  but  as  yet  the  nation  was 
much  divided.  The  Earls  of  Morton,  Athole,  Mar, 
Glencairn,  Lord  Lindsay,  Lord  Home,  and  others, 
with  Moray  as  their  leader,  were  supported  by  the 
Reformed  clergy  ;  on  the  other  hand,  a  section  of  the 
Protestant  nobles  stood  aloof  and  disapproved  of  the 
treatment  of  the  queen,  while  the  Roman  Catholic 
party  were  constantly  active  and  looking  for  their 
opportunity.  On  all  sides  were  the  elements  of 
conflict. 

On  the  22nd  of  August,  1567,  Moray  assumed  his 
office,  took  the  oath  required  by  the  constitution,  and 
was  proclaimed  regent.  The  seals  were  called  in  and 
broken,  and  new  ones  made  with  a  legend  appropriate 
to  James  VI.  Moray  struggled  hard  to  restore  order 
and  administer  justice,  and  he  soon  obtained  posses- 
sion of  the  chief  castles  of  the  kingdom.  Parliament 
met  at  Edinburgh  in  December,  "to  treat  on  the 
affairs  tending  to  the  glory  of  God,  establishing  of  the 


MARY  ESCAPED.     BATTLE  OF  LANGSIDE.  159 


king's  authority,  and  good  and  necessary  laws  in  the 
kingdom."  The  Acts  passed  in  1560,  which  had 
never  received  the  royal  assent,  were  confirmed,  and 
the  Confession  of  Faith  was  inserted  in  the  parliamen- 
tary record.  The  revolution  which  had  substituted 
Protestantism  for  Catholicism  might  be  regarded  as 
assured,  though  much  still  remained  to  be  settled. 
The  General  Assembly  appointed  a  committee  of  its 
members  to  consult  with  Parliament  and  the  Govern- 
ment at  all  times  touching  the  affairs  of  the  Church. 
But  the  queen's  party  were  exceedingly  active,  and 
it  was  evident  that  disaffection  existed. 

Early  in  May,  1568,  Mary  escaped  from  Lochleven, 
and  proceeded  to  Hamilton.  Her  chief  adherents 
were,  besides  the  Hamiltons,  Argyle,  Huntly,  Rothes, 
Seton,  Cassillis,  Harris,  Livingston,  Fleming,  and 
Claud  Hamilton  ;  and  within  a  few  days  the  force 
at  their  command  numbered  six  thousand  men.  The 
regent  was  in  Glasgow  when  tidings  of  the  queen's 
escape  reached  him.  He  determined  at  once  to  meet 
the  danger,  ordered  a  muster  of  all  the  Crown  vassals, 
and,  marching  from  Glasgow,  took  up  a  position  at 
Langside.  On  the  13th  of  May  the  queen's  followers 
gave  him  battle,  but  he  completely  defeated  them, 
and  Mary  fled  toward  the  border.  In  an  unhappy 
hour  she  resolved  to  throw  herself  upon  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Queen  of  England.  After  suffering 
twenty  years'  imprisonment  in  England,  she  was 
beheaded  on  the  8th  of  February,  1587. 

The  regent  continued  his  efforts  to  maintain  order, 
but  it  was  difficult,  as  he  had  a  host  of  enemies,  and 
his  position  tended  to  multiply  them.    Sir  William 


l6o  CONFLICT  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 

Kirkaldy  of  Grange,  governor  of  Edinburgh  Castle, 
and  Maitland  of  Lethington,  joined  the  queen's 
party ;  the  other  centres  of  her  supporters  were  the 
Hamiltons  and  Argyle  in  the  west,  some  of  the  border 
clans  in  the  south,  and  Huntly  in  the  north.  Thus 
beset,  the  regent  was  hard  pressed,  but  he  struggled 
on  bravely.  As  the  castle  of  Edinburgh  was  in  the 
hands  of  his  enemies,  he  marched  for  Stirling  early 
in  1570;  and  when  returning  through  Linlithgow  on 
the  23rd  of  January,  he  was  shot  by  Hamilton  of 
Bothwellhaugh,  and  expired  in  a  few  hours.  The 
assassin  escaped  on  a  fleet  horse  and  rode  to 
Hamilton  Castle.  Moray's  death  was  greatly  be- 
wailed by  the  Reformed  clergy  and  many  of  the 
people,  who  looked  on  him  as  the  arm  of  their  safety. 

For  several  years  the  factions  of  the  king  and 
queen  kept  the  kingdom  in  an  incessant  turmoil. 
In  July,  1570,  the  Earl  of  Lennox,  the  king's  grand- 
father, was  elected  regent,  and  assumed  the  govern- 
ment. Both  parties  issued  proclamations  and  counter 
manifestoes  ;  and  there  was  much  skirmishing  about 
Edinburgh.  Knox  fought  with  all  the  force  and 
vehemence  of  his  nature  on  the  king's  side.  But  in 
October  he  sustained  a  shock  of  apoplexy  which 
impaired  his  speech.  The  General  Assembly  in- 
structed all  the  ministers  to  pray  for  the  king  and 
the  submission  of  the  people  to  his  authority.  Par- 
liament met  at  Stirling  in  August,  1 5 7 1 ;  at  the  same 
time  the  queen's  party  held  their  parliament  in 
Edinburgh.  In  the  latter,  sentences  of  forfeiture 
were  passed  against  the  Earl  of  Morton  and  other 
chiefs  of  the  king's  party ;  in  the  former,  Acts  were 


LENNOX  KILLED.     MORTON  REGENT.  l6l 


passed  in  favour  of  Morton  and  Lord  Lindsay,  as  a 
reward  for  their  resistance  to  the  enemies  of  the  king, 
and  also  in  favour  of  those  who  had  taken  the  castle 
of  Dumbarton.  When  they  were  thus  engaged,  a 
company  of  the  queen's  adherents,  under  the  Earl  of 
Huntly  and  Lord  Hamilton,  marched  from  Edinburgh 
on  Stirling,  surprised  them,  and  slew  the  Regent 
Lennox  on  the  4th  of  September.  The  Earl  of  Mar 
was  chosen  regent,  but  he  died  on  the  28th  of 
October,  1572. 

The  Earl  of  Morton,  who  had  been  the  leading 
spirit  of  the  king's  party  since  the  death  of  Moray, 
was  then  elected  regent.  He  had  been  implicated 
in  all  the  great  plots  of  the  last  twenty  years ;  he  was 
an  ambitious  and  crafty  man,  but  able,  brave,  and 
determined  like  all  his  ancestors  of  the  Douglas  tribe. 
Morton  courted  the  friendship  of  the  English  Govern- 
ment ;  and  in  the  spring  of  1573  he  concluded  an 
arrangement  by  which  one  thousand  five  hundred 
English  troops  and  a  train  of  artillery  entered  Scot- 
land, and  assisted  in  the  reduction  of  the  castle  of 
Edinburgh.  The  queen's  party  in  the  country  were 
broken,  and  most  of  the  leaders  had  submitted  to  the 
regent.  The  castle  of  Edinburgh  surrendered  in  the 
end  of  May.  The  common  soldiers  of  the  garrison 
were  dismissed  ;  but  the  governor,  Kirkaldy  of  Grange, 
and  his  brother,  were  hanged  at  the  cross  of  Edin- 
burgh. Maitland  of  Lethington,  who  had  in  his  time 
hatched  so  many  plots,  and  attempted  to  play  so 
many  parts,  at  last  saved  himself  from  the  scaffold 
by  committing  suicide.  After  this  Mary's  party  in 
Scotland  were  completely  subdued. 


l6z   CONFLICT  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 


Knox  had  been  in  feeble  health  for  some  time,  but 
his  mind  continued  vigorous  to  the  last.  On  Sunday, 
the  9th  of  November,  1572,  he  officiated  at  the 
induction  of  James  Lawson  as  his  colleague  and 
successor  in  Edinburgh.  His  voice  was  weak,  and 
this  was  the  last  time  that  he  appeared  in  public. 
On  the  1  ith  he  was  seized  with  a  severe  cough ;  but  he 
continued  cheerful,  and  was  surrounded  by  his  family, 
and  visited  by  many  friends.  He  died  on  the  24th  of 
November,  in  the  sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age,  and 


GRAVE  OF  JOHN  KNOX. 


on  the  26th  his  remains  were  interred  in  the  church- 
yard of  St.  Giles.  His  character  is  manifested  in  his 
work.  In  co-operation  with  his  contemporaries,  he 
brought  blessings  to  the  people  of  Scotland  which 
they  have  never  forgotten.  Although  he  was  strong 
in  assertion  and  firm  in  his  own  convictions,  he  was 
even  stronger  in  denial  and  negation,  as  he  swept 
off  the  accumulated  mass  of  legends,  traditions,  and 
ceremonies   which    had   enslaved   the    mind,  and 


MORTON  RESIGNED.     EME  STUART.  163 


obscured  the  glory,  the  purity,  and  the  truth  of 
Christianity. 

The  Reformed  clergy  devoted  much  of  their  energy 
to  the  improvement  of  the  polity  of  the  Church, 
and  the  planting  and  organisation  of  congregations 
throughout  the  kingdom.  Under  the  able  leader- 
ship of  Andrew  Melville  they  formed  and  adopted 
the  presbyterian  form  of  polity  which  obtained  a  very 
strong  hold  of  the  national  mind,  although  it  was 
persistently  opposed  by  the  Crown  and  the  Govern- 
ment. Morton  favoured  the  episcopal  form  of  polity, 
but  he  was  never  popular,  and  early  in  1578  he  re- 
signed the  regency.  The  government  was  committed 
to  a  council  of  twelve  members,  mostly  nobles,  and 
the  young  king  then  in  his  twelfth  year.  Although 
Morton  had  resigned,  he  was  still  feared,  and 
therefore  his  enemies  were  plotting  his  utter  ruin. 

In  1579  Erne  Stuart,  a  cousin  of  the  king,  arrived 
from  France,  and  soon  became  a  special  favourite  of 
the  king.  The  two  were  constantly  together  ;  what- 
ever interested  the  one  was  sure  to  interest  the  other, 
and  the  result  was  that  Erne  speedily  rose  to  greatness. 
He  was  first  created  an  earl,  and  shortly  after  Duke 
of  Lennox,  and  was  appointed  High  Chamberlain 
and  governor  of  the  castle  of  Dumbarton.  Captain 
James  Stuart,  another  of  the  king's  favourites,  was 
elevated  to  the  rank  of  Earl  of  Arran  in  1581.  But 
the  two  upstarts  were  insecure  as  long  as  Morton 
was  at  liberty,  and  therefore  the  Duke  of  Lennox 
accused  him  of  complicity  in  the  murder  of  Darnley, 
the  king's  father.  The  fallen  regent  was  seized  and 
imprisoned  in  the  castle  of  Edinburgh.    He  was 


l6\   CONFLICT  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 

tried  on  the  1st  of  June,  1581,  and,  on  his  own 
confession  that  he  was  privy  to  the  plot  for  the 
murder  of  Darnley,  he  was  condemned,  and  beheaded 
on  the  2nd  of  June. 

Lennox  and  Arran  were  now  supreme  in  the 
government.  As  usual  a  party  of  the  nobles 
entered  into  a  bond  to  crush  them,  take  the  king 
into  their  own  hands,  and  rule  the  kingdom  them- 
selves. The  young  king  was  very  fond  of  sport, 
and  he  was  invited  to  Ruthven  Castle,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Perth,  to  enjoy  his  favourite  amusement.  The  Earl 
of  Ruthven  warmly  welcomed  him  ;  but  when  the 
king  arose  in  the  morning  he  was  much  alarmed  by 
the  number  of  armed  men  around  the  castle,  and 
soon  discovered  that  he  was  a  prisoner.  The  Earl  of 
Arran  was  seized  and  imprisoned,  and  the  Duke  of 
Lennox  ordered  to  leave  the  kingdom.  This  plot  is 
known  in  history  as  "  The  Raid  of  Ruthven." 

In  a  few  days  the  king  was  removed  to  Stirling, 
and  in  October,  1582,  he  was  conveyed  to  Holyrood 
Palace.  Parliament  was  assembled,  and  an  Act  of 
indemnity  to  the  chief  actors  in  the  plot  was  passed. 
Having  thus,  according  to  custom,  passed  a  vote  of 
thanks  to  themselves,  they  proclaimed  that  under  the 
providence  of  God  they  were  moved  to  attempt  the 
reform  of  many  abuses  which  threatened  to  subvert 
the  existing  religion  and  the  majesty  of  the  Crown 
of  the  kingdom.  The  clergy  and  the  General 
Assembly  approved  of  these  proceedings,  and  ex- 
plained their  object  to  the  people. 

But  the  king  escaped  in  June,  1583,  and  the 
power  of  the  Ruthven  party  was  broken.    Most  of 


CONTEST  BETWEEN  THE  CROWN  AND  CLERGY.  165 

the  nobles  implicated  fled  to  England,  The  Earl 
of  Gowrie  was  seized,  tried  for  treason,  condemned, 
and  beheaded  at  Stirling  in  May,  1584.  Meanwhile 
the  clergy  were  intensely  alarmed,  as  they  had  ap- 
proved of  the  Ruthven  enterprise.  Andrew  Melville, 
the  leader  of  the  Reformed'  clergy,  was  summoned 
before  the  Privy  Council  touching  a  sermon  which  he 
had  preached.  He  explained  the  sermon,  but  the 
Council  resolved  to  proceed  with  his  trial ;  he  then 
protested,  and  declined  to  answer,  on  the  ground 
that  the  case  in  the  first  instance  ought  to  be 
tried  by  the  presbytery.  His  protest  greatly  irritated 
and  touched  the  vanity  of  the  king,  and  on  the 
second  day  of  the  trial  Melville  told  him  and  his 
council  that  they  had  assumed  too  much  in  at- 
tempting to  control  the  servants  of  God,  and  said 
that  the  laws  of  the  kingdom  were  perverted  in  his 
case.  The  court  ordered  him  to  be  imprisoned  in  the 
Castle  of  Blackness  within  ten  hours  ;  but  Melville 
preferred  to  choose  his  own  place  of  imprisonment, 
and  immediately  fled  to  Berwick. 

The  contest  between  the  Crown  and  the  clergy  had 
reached  a  crisis.  Archbishop  Adamson,  in  concert 
with  the  king,  was  concocting  a  scheme  for  the 
reintroduction  of  Episcopacy.  He  drew  up  a  series  of 
articles  which  recognised  in  emphatic  terms  that  the 
king  was  the  head  of  the  Church,  and  that  therefore  it 
was  his  prerogative  to  appoint  the  order  of  her  polity. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  was  pointed  out  that  presby- 
teries in  which  laymen  associated  with  the  clergy 
were  a  continual  source  of  sedition.  These  ideas 
were  instilled  into  the  king's  mind  at  this  impressible 


l66   CONFLICT  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 


period  of  his  life,  and  throughout  his  reign  he  never 
ceased  to  enforce  them  to  the  utmost  of  his  power. 

In  the  beginning  of  May,  1584,  several  of  the 
preachers  fled  to  Berwick  and  joined  Melville,  and 
the  banished  nobles.  On  the  19th  of  May,  Parlia- 
ment met,  and  passed  a  series  of  Acts  which  placed 
in  the  king's  hands  unprecedented  powers.  One  Act 
affirmed  his  supreme  authority  in  all  matters  civil 
and  religious  ;  another  enacted  that  to  speak  against 
any  of  the  proceedings  of  Parliament  should  be 
accounted  treason  ;  and  all  the  Acts  and  decisions  of 
the  Church  Courts,  if  unsanctioned  by  Parliament, 
were  to  be  held  unlawful.  All  meetings  to  consult 
on  any  matter  without  the  king's  special  license 
were  unlawful.  All  comment  on  the  proceedings  of 
the  king  and  Council  was  prohibited  under  severe 
penalties.  And  that  these  powers,  which  by  the  gift 
of  heaven  belonged  to  his  Majesty  and  to  all  his 
successors  on  the  throne,  should  continue  unimpaired, 
it  was  necessary  to  condemn  Buchanan's  "  History  of 
Scotland "  and  his  "  De  Jure  Regni  apud  Scotos," 
and,  therefore,  all  who  possessed  copies  of  these  books 
were  ordered  to  deliver  them  to  the  royal  officers 
within  forty  days,  "  that  they  may  be  purified  of  the 
extraordinary  matters  which  they  contain." 

When  the  Acts  were  proclaimed,  three  of  the 
ministers — Lawson,  Pont,  and  Balcanquhal — protested 
against  them  as  injurious  to  the  liberties  of  the 
Church.  Soon  after  more  than  twenty  of  the 
ministers  fled  to  England.  The  king  and  his  party, 
having  obtained  an  ample  recognition  of  their 
supreme  power,  resolved   to  crush  the  rebellious 


BANISHED  NOBLES.     THEY  RETURN.  167 


preachers  and  nobles.  Parliament  re-assembled  in 
August.  A  process  of  treason  was  passed  against  the 
banished  nobles,  and  their  lands  were  forfeited.  An 
Act  was  passed  commanding  all  clergymen,  masters 
of  colleges  and  of  schools,  to  sign  and  humbly 
promise  to  obey  the  Acts  of  the  last  Parliament  ;  and 
to  show  their  submissive  spirit,  they  were  ordered  to 
obey  the  bishops  appointed  to  rule  over  them.  All 
the  ministers  between  Stirling  and  Berwick  were 
summoned  to  appear  at  Edinburgh  on  the  16th  of 
November,  1584,  and  attest  their  submission  to  the 
king.  Under  the  threat  of  losing  their  stipends,  a 
majority  of  them  yielded  ;  but  it  soon  appeared 
that  they  were  not  subdued. 

Lord  Maxwell  had  been  for  many  generations  the 
leading  noble  in  Dumfries  and  its  neighbourhood  ; 
but  the  king  had  ventured  to  encroach  upon  his 
local  supremacy  in  the  election  of  a  provost. 
Maxwell  was  therefore  at  war  with  the  king,  and 
mustered  a  thousand  men  ;  and  the  banished  nobles 
saw  their  opportunity  and  joined  him.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1585,  they  returned  and  collected  their  ad- 
herents, met  Maxwell  at  Selkirk,  and  thence  with 
an  army  of  eight  thousand  men  marched  on  Stirling. 
The  king  and  Arran  were  in  Stirling  when  the 
rebels  approached.  Arran  fled  to  the  Highlands, 
and  the  king  had  no  alternative  but  to  receive  the 
proffered  homage  of  his  rebellious  nobles  and  pardon 
them.  Most  of  the  exiled  ministers  returned  with 
the  nobles,  and  resumed  their  functions.  After  a 
severe  struggle  with  the  Crown,  the  Presbyterian 
party  prevailed. 


l68   CONFLICT  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 


The  General  Assembly  in  May,  1592,  resolved  to 
petition  Parliament  to  pass  an  Act  recognising  the 
polity  and  liberties  of  the  Church.  Parliament 
assembled  at  Edinburgh  in  June,  and  an  Act  was 
passed  which  confirmed  all  the  liberties  granted  to 
the  Church  by  the  regents  and  the  king.  It  re- 
cognised and  sanctioned  the  General  Assemblies, 
synods,  presbyteries,  and  sessions  of  the  Church. 
The  Act  of  1584,  touching  the  royal  supremacy, 
and  the  Act  relating  to  the  bishops  were  expressly 
repealed.  Although  this  Act  is  incomplete,  it  has 
always  been  regarded  by  the  Presbyterian  body  as 
an  important  step  in  the  national  reformation. 

Still  there  were  rumours  of  plots,  and  designs  of 
the  Jesuits ;  and  the  clergy  were  annoyed  at  the 
lenity  of  the  king  to  the  Catholic  nobles  of  Huntly, 
Errol,  and  Angus.  They  were  constantly  on  the 
outlook  for  their  enemies.  In  February,  1593,  the 
king  made  a  demonstration  against  the  Catholic 
earls,  and  they  retired  to  Caithness.  But  the  Re- 
formed clergy  insisted  on  the  complete  submission 
of  the  Catholics.  The  Catholic  earls  thus  driven 
to  extremities  rebelled,  and  the  Earl  of  Argyle 
was  commissioned  to  muster  his  vassals  and  march 
against  them.  The  undisciplined  army  under  him 
was  attacked  by  the  Earls  of  Huntly  and  Errol  in 
Glenlivet  on  the  13th  of  October,  1594,  and  after 
a  severe  engagement,  he  was  completely  defeated, 
and  his  followers  fled  in  confusion.  The  king  had 
advanced  to  Dundee  when  tidings  of  Argyle's  defeat 
reached  him,  and  he  proceeded  with  his  army  to 
Aberdeen,  where  several  of  the  local  chiefs  joined 


CATHOLIC  EARLS  REDUCED.     THE  CLERGY.  169 

him.  Andrew  Melville  and  a  number  of  other  popu- 
lar preachers  accompanied  the  army,  which  advanced 
into  the  centre  of  the  enemy's  territory.  Huntly 
was  unable  to  face  the  royal  army,  and  fled  to 
Caithness.  His  stronghold,  the  castle  of  Strath- 
bogie,  was  dismantled ;  the  castle  of  Slaines,  the 
seat  of  the  Earl  of  Errol,  and  other  mansions, 
were  also  defaced.  On  returning  to  Aberdeen,  the 
king  caused  a  number  of  Huntly's  followers  to  be 
executed,  and  then  proclaimed  pardon  to  those  who 
had  been  at  the  battle  of  Glenlivet,  if  they  paid  the 
fines  imposed  by  the  Council.  After  making  some 
arrangements  for  securing  peace  in  the  district,  the 
army  was  disbanded,  and  the  king  returned  to 
Stirling  on  the  14th  of  November.  The  Catholic 
earls  were  reduced  to  despair,  and  left  Scotland  in 
March,  1595. 

But  the  clergy  never  relaxed  their  efforts,  fearing 
that  the  Catholic  nobles  would  return.  They  did 
return  in  the  summer  of  1 596,  and  the  king  seemed 
inclined  to  restore  them.  The  body  of  the  clergy 
were  opposed  to  this,  and  selected  a  committee  of 
sixteen  of  their  own  number  to  sit  in  Edinburgh,  and 
act  in  concert  with  the  ministers  of  the  capital.  The 
king  tried  to  convince  the  clergy  of  the  justice  of  his 
proposal  to  restore  the  Catholic  earls,  but  utterly 
failed.  Mr.  Black,  one  of  the  ministers  of  St.  An- 
drews, delivered  a  vehement  sermon  in  which  he 
assailed  the  king,  the  court  of  session,  and  the  nobles, 
in  the  most  outspoken  style.  He  was  immediately 
summoned  before  the  Privy  Council,  and  appeared,  but 
declined  its  jurisdiction.   The  king  was  enraged  at  the 


170  CONFLICT  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWDS. 

preacher's  denial  of  his  supremacy,  and  commanded 
the  committee  of  the  Church  to  depart  from  Edin- 
burgh, and  announced  that  the  ministers  should  sign 
a  bond  to  obey  the  king  and  the  Privy  Council 
before  they  received  their  stipends.  His  flatterers 
keeping  him  on  the  line  of  thought  and  the  mode 
of  feeling  to  which  he  had  always  been  inclined,  he 
next  commanded  twenty-six  of  the  most  ardent 
Protestants  in  Edinburgh  to  depart  within  six  hours. 
The  excitement  in  the  capital  then  became  extreme. 
On  the  17th  of  December,  a  rumour  spread  that 
Huntly  had  been  at  the  palace  of  Holyrood.  Bal- 
canquhal  was  ascending  the  pulpit  when  this  story 
was  told  to  him,  and  unaware  of  its  falsehood, 
he  commented  on  it  in  his  sermon,  and  raised  the 
feeling  of  the  congregation.  At  the  close  of  his 
sermon,  he  called  on  the  barons  present  not  to 
disgrace  their  names  and  their  ancestors,  but  to  meet 
the  ministers  immediately  in  the  Little  Church.  A 
crowd  had  collected,  and  the  preacher  addressed 
them  on  the  danger  to  which  the  Church  was  ex- 
posed by  the  return  of  the  Catholic  earls. 

A  deputation  waited  on  the  king,  who  was  in 
the  council  chamber  with  the  lords,  and  informed 
him  that  they  were  sent  by  the  barons  convened  in 
the  Little  Church,  to  lay  before  his  Majesty  the 
dangers  which  threatened  religion.  "  What  danger 
see  you,"  said  the  king,  "  and  who  dares  to  assemble 
against  my  proclamation  ? "  Lord  Lindsay  replied, 
"  We  dare  do  more  than  that,  and  will  not  suffer 
religion  to  be  overthrown."  The  clamour  increased 
and  a  number  of  the  people  rushed  into  the  room  ; 


RELIGIOUS  EXCITEMENT. 


171 


the  king  in  great  alarm  started  to  his  feet,  and 
without  giving  any  answer,  ran  down  the  stairs  and 
ordered  the  doors  to  be  shut.  The  deputation  re- 
turned to  the  Little  Church,  where  one  of  the 
ministers  had  been  reading  the  story  of  Haman  and 
Mordecai ;  and  when  it  was  announced  that  the  king 
had  given  no  answer,  the  multitude  were  furious. 
The  tumult  thickened,  and  Lord  Lindsay  shouted  at 
the  top  of  his  voice  not  to  separate,  that  their  only 
hope  of  safety  was  to  remain  and  send  notice  to 
their  friends  to  come  and  assist  them.  Some  cried, 
"  To  bring  out  the  wicked  Haman  "  ;  others  shouted 
"  The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  Gideon  !  "  one  of  the 
crowd  cried,  "  Fy !  fy!  save  yourselves,  the  Catholics 
are  coming  to  massacre  you  !  to  arms,  to  arms !  bills 
and  axes."  Some  fancied  that  the  king  was  a 
prisoner,  and  ran  to  the  council  chamber  ;  others, 
imagining  that  the  ministers  were  being  murdered, 
flew  to  the  church  ;  some  knocked  on  the  chamber 
door  and  called  for  the  president  and  other  counsel- 
lors to  be  delivered  up  to  them,  that  summary 
punishment  might  be  executed  upon  the  misdoers. 
The  provost  of  the  city  at  last  arrived  on  the  scene, 
addressed  the  multitude,  and  advised  them  to  go 
quietly  to  their  homes  ;  thus  the  uproar  was  quelled 
without  any  serious  mischief. 

After  the  king's  courage  revived,  he  determined  to 
let  the  ministers  and  the  citizens  feel  the  weight  of 
his  wrath.  The  following  morning  he  left  Edinburgh 
for  Linlithgow,  and  issued  a  proclamation  which  de- 
scribed the  disturbance  as  a  treasonable  uproar,  and 
ordered  the  Courts  of  Law  to  be  removed  from  the 


172   CONFLICT  TO  THE   UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 

capital,  which  was  an  unfit  place  for  the  administra- 
tion of  justice.  The  burgesses  and  craftsmen  saw  in 
this  move  the  loss  of  their  trade,  and  therefore  were 
ready  to  yield,  and  they  implored  his  Majesty's 
clemency;  but  the  only  answer  which  he  gave  them 
was  an  announcement  that  ere  long  he  would  return 
to  Edinburgh  and  let  them  know  that  he  was  their 
king.  The  provost  was  commanded  to  imprison 
the  ministers,  and  the  tumult  was  declared  a  treason- 
able riot.  Finally  the  provost  and  magistrates  were 
were  severely  punished,  and  a  fine  of  20,000  marks 
was  imposed  on  the  capital. 

The  severe  punishment  of  the  citizens  of  Edin- 
burgh enabled  the  king  to  extend  his  power  over 
the  Church.  For  a  time  the  chief  ministers  of  the 
capital  were  silenced,  and  some  of  them  fled  to 
England.  James  then  directed  his  efforts  to  under- 
mine the  Presbyterian  polity  and  re-introduce 
Episcopacy,  and  be  persistently  pursued  this  line 
of  policy  to  the  end  of  his  reign.  He  endeavoured 
to  limit  and  control  the  action  of  the  General 
Assemblies,  but  he  effected  comparatively  little  till 
after  his  accession  to  the  throne  of  England. 

Readers  of  Scotch  history  become  familiar  with 
the  plots  of  the  nobles  against  the  Crown,  and  the 
5th  of  August,  1600,  was  memorable  for  an  event  of 
this  character,  known  as  the  Gowrie  Conspiracy. 
The  Earl  of  Gowrie  of  that  time  was  the  grandson 
of  Lord  Ruthven,  who  acted  a  leading  part  in  the 
Riccio  tragedy.  It  seems  probable  that  Gowrie 
intended  to  imprison  the  king  and  rule  the  kingdom 
in  his  name,  as  had  often  been  done  before.    The  earl 


GOWRIE  CONSPIRACY 


*73 


decoyed  the  king  to  his  castle,  and  after  dinner  con- 
ducted him  into  a  room  in  which  the  Master  of  Ruth- 
ven  handled  him  rather  roughly.  But  the  nobles  who 
accompanied  the  king  came  to  his  rescue,  and  after 
a  short  scuffle  the  master  and  his  brother,  the  Earl 
of  Gowrie,  were  both  slain.  The  king  insisted  that 
all  men  must  believe  that  his  precious  life  was 
miraculously  preserved  from  the  hands  of  the  two 
wicked  brothers.  He  issued  a  mandate  to  change 
the  week-day  religious  service  in  all  the  towns  to 
Tuesday,  the  day  on  which  the  miraculous  event 
happened  ;  and  an  Act  of  Parliament  was  passed 
which  commanded  that  the  5th  of  August  should  be 
observed  annually — "in  all  ages  to  come  as  a  per- 
petual monument  of  their  humble,  hearty,  and 
unfeigned  thanks  to  God  for  His  miraculous  and 
extraordinary  deliverance  from  the  horrible  and 
detestable  murder  attempted  against  his  Majesty's 
most  noble  person." 

Queen  Elizabeth  died  on  the  24th  of  March,  1603  5 
and  the  same  day  James  VI.  was  proclaimed  her 
successor.  For  some  time  the  English  had  been 
looking  toward  the  rising  sun  ;  and  if  he  did  not 
fulfil  all  the  expectations  of  his  new  subjects,  perhaps 
it  was  more  their  own  fault  than  his,  for  if  they  had 
moderated  their  hopes  and  expected  little,  they  would 
not  have  been  disappointed.  James  began  his  jour- 
ney on  the  5th  of  April,  and  on  the  6th  of  May,  he 
entered  London,  greeted  by  the  shouts  of  his  English 
subjects. 

The  Scotch  literature  of  the  Reformation  period  \9 


174   CONFLICT  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 

more  remarkable  for  its  moral  qualities  than  its 
intellectual ;  it  presents  more  evidence  of  change  in 
the  feelings  and  sentiments  of  the  nation  than  of  any 
display  of  increasing  intellectual  power.  The  writers 
in  the  Scotch  dialect  of  the  later  part  of  the  century 
are  inferior  to  those  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  cen- 
tury. After  the  Reformation  there  is  no  Scotch  poet 
equal  to  Dunbar  or  Gavin  Douglas  ;  the  versifiers  of 
the  close  of  the  century  stand  lower  than  those  of  its 
opening  years  ;  the  balance  in  conception  and  range 
of  imagery  is  on  the  side  of  the  earlier  poets.  If  we 
look  to  the  feelings  and  sentiments  expressed  in  the 
compositions  of  both,  the  later  appear  in  a  more 
favourable  light.  The  extremely  coarse  phrases  and 
expressions  which  Dunbar  and  Sir  David  Lindsay 
frequently  used  were  gradually  cast  aside,  and  a 
better  moral  tone  observed.  The  improvement  of  the 
moral  sentiments  and  broadening  of  the  national 
sympathy  were  indicated  in  various  directions — in 
the  emphatic  complaints  touching  the  poor  and  the 
efforts  to  relieve  them  ;  in  the  attempts  to  place  the 
institution  of  marriage  on  a  proper  footing,  to  pro- 
tect the  life  of  infants,  to  purify  the  domestic  circle, 
and  to  expose  vice  in  every  quarter.  In  short,  the 
revolutionary  waves  of  the  sixteenth  century  were 
mainly  religious  and  moral  ;  but  these  were  soon 
followed  by  intellectual  achievements  and  revolutions 
of  thought. 

George  Buchanan  wrote  his  poems,  "  History  of 
Scotland,"  and  "  De  Jure  Regni  apud  Scotos,"  in  Latin ; 
and  it  is  necessary  to  notice  the  last  work,  as  it  was 
condemned  and  burned  by  the  government  of  Scot- 


LITERATURE. 


175 


land,  when  bent  on  a  despotic  policy.  The  "  De  Jure 
Regni,"  which  is  written  in  the  dialogue  form,  ap- 
peared in  1579,  and  at  once  excited  attention.  The 
principles  enunciated  in  it  are  clear  and  decisive,  and 
directed  against  every  form  of  tyranny.  Buchanan's 
main  argument  was  put  in  this  manner :  "  Men  were 
naturally  formed  for  society,  but  in  order  to  arrest 


GEORGE  BUCHANAN. 


the  internal  broils  that  sprang  up  amongst  them,  they 
created  kings  ;  and  in  order  to  restrain  the  power  of 
their  kings,  they  enacted  laws.  As  the  community  is 
the  source  of  legal  power,  it  is  greater  than  the  king, 
and  may  therefore  judge  him  ;  and  since  the  laws  are 
intended  to  restrain  the  king  in  case  of  collision,  it  is 
for  the  people,  not  for  the  ruler,  to  interpret  them. 
It  is  the  duty  of  the  king  to  associate  himself  with 
the  law,  and  to  govern  exclusively  according  to  its 


176   CONFLICT  TO  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 

decisions.  A  king  is  one  that  rules  by  law,  and  in 
accordance  with  the  interests  of  the  people  ;  but  a 
tyrant  is  one  that  rules  by  his  own  will,  and  contrary 
to  the  interests  of  the  people.  An  opinion  had  been 
advanced  that  a  king  who  was  hampered  by  recog- 
nised constitutional  ties  might  be  resisted  if  he 
violated  them,  but  that  a  tyrant  who  reigns  where  no 
constitution  exists,  must  be  always  obeyed  ;  the  latter 
is  wrong :  For  the  people  may  justly  make  war 
against  such  a  ruler,  and  may  pursue  him  till  he  be 
slain."  Buchanan  illustrated  his  views  by  examples 
drawn  from  history.  He  had  also  the  merit  of  dis- 
entangling politics  from  the  endless  subtleties  and 
puerile  conceits  of  theologians. 

In  no  department  of  human  effort  was  the  evidence 
of  the  new  era  more  striking  than  in  education. 
From  an  early  period  there  were  schools  attached  to 
some  of  the  monasteries,  and  in  some  of  the  towns, 
in  which  Latin  was  taught  ;  and  also  a  few  places 
called  lecture  schools,  in  which  children  were  taught 
to  read  the  vernacular.  But  it  was  only  at  the 
Reformation  that  anything  like  adequate  ideas  of  the 
importance  and  value  of  education  began  to  be  enter- 
tained. The  Scotch  Reformers  and  clergy  made 
great  and  prolonged  efforts  to  introduce  and  extend 
the  means  of  education  to  the  humblest  classes  of  the 
people. 


XII. 


RESULT  OF  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS  ON 
SCOTLAND. 

It  was  natural  that  James  VI.  should  endeavour  to 
restore  Episcopacy  whenever  he  could  command  the 
requisite  power  ;  for  he  was  inflexibly  possessed  with 
the  idea  that  its  establishment  in  Scotland  was  essen- 
tial to  the  existence  of  the  throne.  With  the  resources 
of  England  in  his  hands,  he  continued  to  pursue  his 
long  cherished  scheme  of  Church  government  which 
tended  to  extinguish  the  freedom  of  the  people  and 
cramp  the  development  of  their  national  life.  Always 
proceeding  in  the  underhand  way  which  charac- 
terised this  policy,  he  interfered  with  the  general 
assemblies  and  controlled  their  action. 

He  summoned  the  leaders  of  the  Presbyterian 
party,  Andrew  Melville,  James  Melville,  and  other 
six  ministers,  to  appear  at  the  English  Court  in 
September,  1606.  His  aim  was  to  engage  the 
ministers  and  the  English  bishops  in  a  conference 
touching  the  superior  merits  of  Episcopacy.  He 
commanded  the  Scotch  ministers  to  attend  a  course 
of  sermons  preached  by  four  English  divines — on  the 


178     RESULT  OF  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 

bishops,  the  supremacy  of  the  Crown,  and  the  absence 
of  all  authority  for  the  office  of  lay  elders.  James 
himself  attended  several  of  the  meetings.  But  it 
soon  became  manifest  that  the  king  and  his  bishops 
had  utterly  failed  to  produce  any  change  in  the  con- 
victions of  the  Scotch  ministers.  They  merely  heard 
the  bishops'  sermons  with  silent  contempt ;  and  the 
service  was  caricatured  by  Andrew  Melville  in  a  Latin 
epigram  which  came  under  the  notice  of  the  Privy 
Council,  and  for  which  he  was  summoned  to  answer 
before  that  august  tribunal.  Melville  in  a  moment  of 
passion  when  delivering  a  vehement  invective  against 
the  hierarchy,  seized  and  shook  the  white  sleeves  of 
Bancroft,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  at  the  same 
time  calling  them  "  Romish  rags."  For  this  offence  he 
was  imprisoned  in  the  Tower  of  London  for  five  years, 
and  only  obtained  his  liberty  on  the  condition  of  living 
for  the  remainder  of  his  life  beyond  the  king's 
dominions.  Melville  retired  to  Sedan,  in  France,  and 
was  engaged  in  teaching  till  his  death  in  1620.  James 
Melville  was  confined  first  at  Newcastle,  and  afterwards 
at  Berwick,  but  never  permitted  to  return  to  Scotland  ; 
and  the  other  six  ministers  were  banished  to  remote 
parts  of  Scotland.  Such  were  the  tactics  which  James 
VI.  used  to  subdue  the  opposition  to  his  scheme  of 
Church  government ;  how  far  they  were  calculated  to 
secure  success,  the  sequel  will  show. 

The  king  having  disposed  of  his  most  energetic 
opponents,  his  supporters  aided  by  the  royal  influence 
assumed  the  control  of  the  general  assemblies,  and 
proceeded  to  carry  into  effect  his  Majesty's  injunc- 
tions.   And  the  Scotch  Parliament  enacted  anything 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  JAMES  VI.  I?g 


which  the  king  commanded.  Thus  Episcopacy  was 
restored  in  1610;  though  in  many  congregations 
the  Presbyterian  form  of  worship  was  retained,  as  a 
majority  of  the  people  were  opposed  to  the  change. 
But  James  wanted  to  introduce  five  articles  of  his 
own,  which  enjoined  that  the  communion  should 
always  be  received  in  a  kneeling  posture  ;  that  in 
cases  of  sickness  the  communion  should  be  adminis- 
tered in  private  houses ;  that  baptism  in  similar  cir- 
cumstances should  be  administered  ;  that  holydays 
should  be  appointed  for  the  commemoration  of  the 
birth,  passion,  and  resurrection  of  Christ ;  and  that 
children  should  be  brought  to  the  bishop  and  blessed. 
These  ceremonies  are  known  in  history  as  "  the  five 
articles  of  Perth. "  But  they  were  inconsistent  with 
the  historic  basis  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Scotland, 
and  the  majority  of  the  people  were  bitterly  opposed 
to  them. 

James  insisted  that  his  articles  should  be  enforced 
on  the  people.  He  was  always  exhorting  and 
threatening  in  vain  ;  nonconforming  ministers  were 
imprisoned  and  banished  without  effect ;  and  in  spite 
of  all  his  efforts  many  of  the  conforming  ministers* 
churches  began  to  be  deserted,  and  they  were  left  to 
declaim  against  schism  and  rebellion  to  empty 
benches. 

King  James  died  on  the  27th  of  March,  1625,  at 
the  age  of  fifty  nine.  Though  naturally  timid,  he 
was  vindictive,  and  accessible  to  the  most  fulsome 
flattery  ;  he  was  extremely  conceited — a  weak  feature 
of  his  character  much  fed  by  the  excessive  flattery  of 
the  English  bishops.    Of  his  kingly  prerogatives  he 


180    RESULT  OF  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 


had  the  most  extravagant  ideas.  In  literature  he  was 
a  pedant.  It  cannot  be  recorded  that  his  policy  was 
beneficial  to  his  native  country. 

James  VI.  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Charles  I.  In 
October,  1626,  he  issued  a  revocation  of  all  grants  of 
lands  by  the  Crown  since  the  Reformation.  It  was 
intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  bishops  and  the  clergy  s 
and  to  remedy  some  evils  connected  with  tithes.  But 
it  arousec  violent  feelings  among  the  nobles  whose 
interests  it  threatened  to  invade.  The  king  had 
resolved  to  fight  a  hard  battle,  and  firmly  pursued  his 
end.  He  found  it  necessary  to  limit  the  scope  of  his 
measure,  and  raised  processes  to  reduce  the  grants  on 
legal  grounds.  Still,  this  caused  much  alarm,  and  a 
deputation  from  the  nobles  went  to  London  to  treat 
with  the  king.  After  a  warm  discussion,  a  commis- 
sion was  appointed  to  examine  the  whole  subject,  in 
January,  1627.  The  commissioners  proceeded  with 
the  investigation,  and  prosecutions  were  commenced 
against  all  who  refused  to  accede  to  the  proposals  of 
the  Crown.  At  last  a  compromise  was  effected.  The 
Church  lands  and  the  property  in  dispute  were  to  re- 
main in  the  hands  of  those  who  held  them,  under  the 
condition  of  paying  a  proportion  as  rents  to  the  Crown  ; 
while  the  Crown  also  insisted  on  a  right  of  feudal 
superiority,  whereby  additional  dues  would  fall  to  the 
public  revenue.  The  tithes  were  adjusted  thus  : — The 
landowner  obtained  liberty  to  extinguish  the  right  of 
levying  tithes  on  his  property  by  the  payment  of  a 
sum  calculated  at  nine  years'  purchase  ;  if  he  failed 
to  exercise  this  option,  then  the  tithe  in  kind  was  to 
be  commuted  into  a  rent-charge,  and  from  this  was  to 


CHARLES  I.     CANONS  AND  LITURGY.  l8l 


be  deducted  the  stipend  payable  to  the  parish  minis- 
ters, and  an  annuity  reserved  to  the  Crown.  The 
adjustment  of  the  tithes  which  was  sanctioned  by 
Parliament  in  1633,  proved  a  beneficial  measure  to 
the  nation,  as  it  extinguished  a  large  class  of  vexatious 
disputes  between  landowners  and  titheowners,  between 
tenants  of  land  and  titheowners,  and  between  the 
ministers  and  their  flocks. 

Still  many  of  the  great  nobles  only  surrendered 
their  full  claims  to  the  Church  lands  with  a  grudge 
which  long  embittered  their  minds,  and  predisposed 
them  to  join  in  the  struggle  against  the  king  which 
subsequently  ensued.  They  feared  that  he  might  yet 
attempt  further  encroachments  upon  their  landed 
rights  and  privileges. 

In  1633,  Charles  I.  crossed  the  border  and  entered 
Edinburgh,  and  was  crowned  at  Holyrood  on  the 
18th  of  June.  He  was  exceedingly  anxious  to 
complete  the  scheme  of  Church  polity  which  his 
father  had  begun,  and  proceeded  to  treat  all  diffi- 
culties with  an  imperious  hand.  His  presence  and 
power  overawed  opposition  for  a  time,  and  prepara- 
tions were  made  for  composing  a  new  book  of 
canons  and  a  liturgy.  The  canons,  as  finally  revised 
by  Laud  and  the  Bishops  of  London  and  Norwich, 
were  ratified  by  the  king  in  May,  1635,  and  pro- 
mulgated by  the  king  in  1636.  Charles  announced 
his  will  touching  the  canons  in  the  following  terms  : 
"We  do,  not  only  by  our  royal  prerogative  and 
supreme  authority  in  causes  ecclesiastical,  ratify  and 
confirm  by  these  our  letters  patent,  the  said  canons 
and  constitutions,  and  everything  contained  in  them  ; 


l8z     RESULT  OF  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 


but  likewise  we  command,  by  our  royal  authority,  the 
same  to  be  diligently  observed  and  executed,  by  all 
our  loving  subjects  of  that  kingdom,  in  all  points, 
.  .  .  according  to  this  our  will  and  pleasure,  hereby 
expressed  and  declared."  The  bishops  and  all 
persons  in  authority  were  commanded  to  enforce 
the  observance  of  the  canons  under  severe  penalties. 
These  canons  placed  the  whole  internal  life  of  the 
Church  in  the  hands  of  the  bishops. 

The  canons  had  little  resemblance  to  any  Scotch 
ecclesiastical  rules  subsequent  to  the  Reformation. 
Such  was  the  king's  disregard  of  the  national 
feeling  and  his  blind  confidence  in  the  efficacy  of 
the  royal  supremacy  ;  he  imagined  that  he  had  only 
to  command  what  he  pleased  and  the  people  would 
obey  him.  Acting  on  this  vain  assumption,  Charles 
signed  a  warrant  to  the  Privy  Council  on  the  18th 
of  October,  1636,  which  contained  his  instructions 
touching  the  introduction  of  the  new  liturgy.  It 
ordered  the  Council  to  proclaim  to  the  nation  that 
the  liturgy  must  be  adopted  ;  the  bishops  and  clergy 
were  commanded  to  enforce  its  observance  by  con- 
dign censure  and  punishment,  and  two  copies  of  it 
were  to  be  procured  for  the  use  of  every  parish  in 
the  kingdom.  In  compliance  with  the  king's  com- 
mand, the  Council  in  December  issued  a  proclamation 
ordering  all  the  people  to  conform  to  the  new  liturgy. 

The  nation  was  soon  in  a  ferment.  A  suspicion 
arose  amongst  the  people  that  Roman  Catholicism 
was  to  be  reintroduced.  They  had  already  yielded 
much  to  the  king,  but  the  limit  of  their  passive 
obedience  was  passed.    They  affirmed  that  the  king 


SCENE  IN  ST.  GILES'  CHURCH.  l8^ 

had  no  right  to  impose  a  liturgy  on  them  ;  and  they 
asserted  that  it  was  little  better  than  a  mass-book. 
The  royal  proclamation  ordered  the  new  liturgy  to 
be  observed  in  all  the  churches  on  Easter,  1637,  but 
the  authorities  postponed  it,  which  merely  heightened 
the  feeling  against  it.  The  bishops  arranged  that 
the  public  reading  of  the  liturgy  should  begin  in 
Edinburgh  on  Sunday  the  23rd  of  July;  and  this 
was  intimated  in  all  the  churches  of  the  city  on  the 
previous  Sunday. 

On  the  appointed  day  preparations  were  made  to 
celebrate  the  introduction  of  the  new  service  in  the 
most  imposing  style.  In  the  historic  Church  of  St. 
Giles,  the  two  archbishops  and  other  bishops,  the 
members  of  the  Privy  Council,  and  the  magistrates 
in  their  robes,  attended  in  the  forenoon  to  grace  the 
proceedings.  The  Bishop  of  Edinburgh  was  to 
preach  and  the  dean  to  read  the  service.  A  large 
congregation  had  assembled,  but  they  looked  restless 
and  wistful.  The  dean  had  scarcely  begun  to  read 
when  confused  cries  arose.  As  he  proceeded,  the 
clamour  became  louder  and  the  prayers  could  not 
be  heard.  The  people  started  to  their  feet  and  the 
church  was  a  scene  of  hideous  uproar.  The  voices 
of  the  women  were  loudest ;  some  cried  "  Woe,  woe 
me ! "  others  shouted  that  "  they  were  bringing  in 
popery !  "  and  instantly  the  stools  were  thrown  at 
the  dean  and  the  Bishop  of  Edinburgh.  The 
Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews  and  the  Lords  of  the 
Council  interposed,  but  in  vain  ;  the  tumult  con- 
tinued till  the  magistrates  came  from  their  seats  in 
the  gallery  and  with  extreme  difficulty  thrust  out  the 


i 

1 84      RESULT  OF  THE  UNION  OF  THE  CROWNS. 


unruly  members.  The  dean  read  the  service,  and 
the  bishop  preached  with  barred  doors.  But  the 
crowd  stood  around  the  church  in  a  state  of 
vehement  excitement,  rapping  at  the  doors  and 
throwing  stones  at  the  windows,  and  shouting 
u  Popery,  popery !  "  When  the  bishops  came  out 
of  the  church  the  multitude  attacked  Bishop  Lindsay, 
and  he  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life. 

Similar  disturbances  occurred  in  the  other  churches 
of  the  capital,  though  less  violent.  In  Greyfriars 
Church  the  bishop  was  forced  to  stop  reading  the 
service.  The  excitement  spread  rapidly  and  became 
intense ;  and  the  liturgy  was  everywhere  spurned. 
In  the  face  of  this  heated  feeling  the  authorities  were 
powerless.  On  the  4th  of  August,  the  Privy  Council 
were  commanded  by  the  king  to  punish  all  the 
persons  concerned  in  the  disturbance,  and  to  support 
the  bishops  and  clergy  in  establishing  the  liturgy. 
The  Council  resolved  that  another  attempt  should 
be  made  to  use  it  on  Sunday  the  13th  of  August; 
but  when  this  day  came  it  was  not  tried  in  the 
churches  of  Edinburgh,  because  readers  could  not 
be  got  to  officiate.  Thus  the  curtain  was  drawn, 
and  the  first  scene  of  the  long  tragic  drama  enacted 


XIII. 


THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 

Two  lines  of  action  were  open  to  the  king,  either 
to  withdraw  the  liturgy  unconditionally,  or  at  once 
to  overwhelm  all  opposition.  Charles  I.  was  not 
inclined  to  adopt  the  first.  Though  quite  unprepared 
to  enforce  the  second,  he  clung  to  it,  and  only  slowly 
and  with  painful  difficulty  became  aware  that  his 
power  was  not  commensurate  with  his  will.  The 
national  feeling  was  imperfectly  understood  in 
London.  The  king  himself  had  merely  looked  at 
a  few  unimportant  circumstances  on  the  surface  of 
society,  and  thence  concluded  that  the  Scots  would 
offer  little  opposition  to  the  introduction  of  the 
liturgy.  The  tone  of  Charles'  dispatches  clearly 
indicated  his  view  of  the  matter,  which  was  this : — 
Every  one  in  Scotland  had  done  something  wrong  or 
neglected  to  do  what  should  have  been  done  ;  so  his 
Majesty  alone,  under  God,  was  right,  and  therefore 
his  will  must  be  obeyed. 

The  agitation  and  excitement  increased  throughout 
the  kingdom,  and  the  Government  were  utterly 
powerless.    Petitions  against  the  liturgy  began  to 


186  THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


be  circulated,  and  Mr.  Alexander  Henderson,  minister 
of  Leuchars,  in  Fife,  presented  one  to  the  Privy 
Council  on  the  23rd  of  August,  1637.  This  petition 
gave  the  following  reasons  for  rejecting  the  liturgy: — 

(1)  Because  it  is  not  warranted  by  the  authority  of 
the  General  Assembly,  nor  by  any  Act  of  Parliament ; 

(2)  Because  the  liberties  of  the  Church  and  form  of 
religion  and  worship  received  at  the  Reformation, 
and  universally  practised  since,  were  warranted  by 
the  Acts  of  the  General  Assembly  and  by  several 
Acts  of  Parliament  ;  (3)  Because  the  Church  of 
Scotland  was  a  free  Church,  and  her  own  ministers 
were  best  able  to  discern  what  was  in  harmony  with 
the  Reformation,  and  best  calculated  to  promote  the 
good  of  the  people ;  (4)  Because  it  was  notorious 
what  disputes  and  trouble  had  arisen  in  the  Church 
about  a  few  of  the  many  ceremonies  in  this  liturgy  ; 
(5)  Because  since  the  Reformation  the  people  have 
always  been  taught  a  different  doctrine,  and  they 
would  not  likely  be  willing  to  agree  to  such  changes, 
even  though  their  pastors  were  willing  to  submit. 
The  Council  informed  the  king  of  the  discontent 
and  the  clamour  against  the  liturgy,  and  agreed  to 
let  the  matter  rest  till  further  instructed  by  his 
Majesty. 

The  king  replied  on  the  10th  of  September,  and 
expressed  his  displeasure  that  they  had  not  caused 
the  liturgy  to  be  read,  nor  inflicted  condign  punish- 
ment on  those  who  had  raised  the  tumult.  ,  He 
insisted  that  each  bishop  should  cause  it  to  be 
observed  in  his  own  diocese. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  many  petitions  against 


PETITIONS  AGAINST  THE  LITURGY.  187 


the  liturgy  were  presented  to  the  Council.  The 
movement  was  fast  gaining  strength  ;  twenty  nobles, 
many  of  the  gentry,  and  the  chief  men  of  the  towns 
had  joined  it.  A  great  number  of  people  assembled 
in  Edinburgh,  and  the  Earl  of  Sutherland  presented 
a  general  petition  to  the  Council,  in  name  of  the 
nobility,  the   ministers,   and   the   burgesses.  The 


COMMON  SEAL  OF  EDINBURGH. 

Council  were  perplexed  and  hesitated  ;  at  last  they 
declined  to  answer  the  petitions  till  they  got  in- 
structions from  the  king.  They  informed  the  king 
of  the  state  of  matters ;  and  on  the  9th  of  October, 
he  replied  that  he  had  postponed  an  answer  to  the 
petitions. 


l88  THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


In  the  middle  of  October,  a  greater  number  of 
people  than  before  met  in  Edinburgh,  with  the  aim 
of  inducing  the  magistrates  to  join  the  movement, 
and  to  await  the  king's  answer  Fresh  petitions 
from  two  hundred  parishes  were  presented  ;  but  a 
plain  and  wise  answer  from  the  king  might  still 
have  dissipated  all  alarm.  On  the  17th  of  October, 
the  king's  answer  was  announced  in  the  form  of 
three  proclamations  at  the  cross  of  Edinburgh.  The 
first  intimated  that  nothing  would  be  done  that  day 
touching  religious  matters,  and  the  petitioners  were 
commanded  to  leave  the  capital  within  twenty-four 
hours  ;  the  second  ordered  the  Government  and  the 
Courts  of  Law  to  remove  to  Linlithgow  ;  an'd  the 
third  denounced  a  book  which  was  popular,  "  A 
Dispute  against  the  English  Popish  Ceremonies 
obtruded  upon  the  Church  of  Scotland/'  all  copies 
of  which  were  ordered  to  be  brought  to  the  Council 
and  publicly  burned. 

The  people  were  deeply  offended,  and  at  once 
resolved  to  disobey  the  proclamations,  and  not  to 
separate  till  they  established  a  rallying  point.  Next 
morning,  when  the  Bishop  of  Galloway  was  going  to 
the  Council-house,  a  mob  attacked  him  and  pursued 
him  to  the  door.  The  crowd  surrounded  the  Council- 
house  and  demanded  that  the  obnoxious  lords  should 
surrender.  The  Council  despatched  a  messenger  to 
the  magistrates  to  ask  their  help,  but  they  wrere  in  the 
same  plight  as  the  Council.  A  part  of  the  mob  gathered 
around  the  town-house,  and,  entering  the  lobbies, 
threatened  that,  unless  the  magistrates  joined  the 
citizens  in  opposing  the  liturgy,  they  would  burn  the 


SCENE.     AUTHORITIES  BESET.       -  189 


building.  When  this  became  known  to  the  Council, 
the  Treasurer  and  the  Earl  of  Wigton  forced  their  way 
to  the  town-house.  After  a  brief  consultation,  the 
magistrates  agreed  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  disperse 
the  crowds,  and  announced  to  the  seething  multitude 
that  they  had  acceded  to  the  demands  of  the  people. 
The  Treasurer  and  his  friends  now  thought  that  they 
might  venture  to  return  to  the  Council-house  ;  but 
the  moment  they  appeared  on  the  street,  they  were 
assailed  with  hootings  and  jeers.  Then  a  rush  was 
made,  and  the  Treasurer  was  thrown  to  the  ground  ; 
his  hat,  cloak,  and  staff  of  office  were  torn  from  him, 
and  he  was  in  danger  of  being  trodden  to  death.  Some 
of  his  companions,  however,  got  him  to  his  feet,  and 
the  pressure  of  the  crowd  half  carried  him  and  his 
friends  to  the  Council-house  door.  In  a  short  time 
the  magistrates  joined  the  Council,  and  all  the 
authorities  were  beset,  and  many  of  them  trembled. 
At  last  it  was  resolved  to  send  for  the  nobles  who 
had  already  announced  themselves  opposed  to  the 
liturgy,  and  by  their  exertions  the  crowd  was  dis- 
persed, and  the  counsellors  got  safely  to  their  homes. 

Before  separating,  the  opposition  party  agreed  to 
meet  again  on  the  15th  of  November.  In  the 
interval  they  exerted  themselves  to  the  utmost  to 
secure  a  large  meeting  of  the  people,  to  await  for  an 
answer  to  their  former  petitions. 

The  Privy  Council  greatly  feared  a  repetition  of  the 
tumults,  and  held  a  conference  with  the  leaders  of  the 
petitioners.    The  nobles  on  the  side  of  the  petitioners  ' 
maintained  their  right  to  meet  and  to  present  their 
grievances  ;  but  to  obviate  all  cause  of  complaint, 


190  THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 

they  said  that  their  party  were  ready  to  act  through 
representatives.  The  Council  agreed  ;  and  the  oppo- 
sition party  appointed  four  permanent  committees. 
The  first  comprised  all  the  nobles  who  had  joined  the 
movement ;  the  second  consisted  of  two  representa- 
tives from  each  county ;  the  third  embraced  one 
minister  from  each  presbytery ;  and  the  fourth 
included  one  or  two  deputies  from  each  borough. 
These  committees  sat  at  different  tables  in  the 
parliament-house  (hence  in  history  they  were  called 
the  Tables),  and  acting  together  they  represented 
the  nation.  For  effective  action  and  business  each  of 
the  committees  elected  four  representatives,  and  these 
united  formed  a  select  deliberative  body  of  sixteen 
members,  appointed  to  sit  constantly  in  Edinburgh, 
with  instructions  to  assemble  the  larger  body  when 
any  emergency  arose.  At  first  they  only  took  charge 
of  the  petitions,  and  urged  them  on  the  attention  of 
the  Government ;  but  they  shortly  began  to  form 
proposals  for  the  party,  to  assume  the  functions  of 
government,  and  the  control  of  affairs  passed  into 
their  hands. 

On  the  2 1st  of  December,  1637,  the  representatives 
of  the  Tables  appeared  before  the  Privy  Council  and 
demanded  that  their  petitions  should  be  heard.  Lord 
Loudon  boldly  stated  their  grievances.  As  the  bishops 
were  the  chief  delinquents  and  directly  interested 
parties,  it  was  claimed  that  they  should  not  be  allowed 
to  sit  as  judges  upon  the  matters  in  dispute  between 
the  Government  and  the  petitioners.  The  Council 
remitted  the  whole  matter  for  the  determination  of 
the  king. 


THE  EARL  OF  LOUDON. 
{From  the  painting  by  JamiesonJ) 


192 


THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


In  the  beginning  of  1638,  Traquair,  the  Lord 
Treasurer,  was  called  to  London.  He  found  that  the 
king  was  not  only  extremely  ignorant  of  the  state 
of  affairs,  but  was  unwilling  to  listen  to  information 
about  the  difficulties  which  he  had  caused.  Some 
consultation  was  held  concerning  what  should  be 
done,  but  any  idea  of  yielding  to  the  opinions  of  the 
Scots  could  not  be  entertained  by  the  king  ;  and  it 
was  resolved  to  adhere  to  the  liturgy  and  the  Court 
of  High  Commission,  to  ignore  and  condemn  all  that 
had  been  objected  against  them,  as  the  royal  supre- 
macy must  be  maintained.  Charles  took  the  respon- 
sibility of  the  liturgy  on  himself ;  and  the  Treasurer 
returned  with  his  instructions  in  the  middle  of 
February. 

A  proclamation  in  accordance  with  the  king's  con- 
clusions was  issued  on  the  19th  of  February.  But  the 
representatives  of  the  Tables  immediately  protested 
that  they  should  still  have  a  right  to  petition  the 
king  ;  that  they  would  not  recognise  the  bishops  as 
judges  in  any  Court ;  that  they  should  not  incur  any 
loss  for  non-observance  of  such  canons  and  proclama- 
tions as  were  contrary  to  the  Acts  of  Parliament  and 
of  the  General  Assembly  ;  and  that  if  any  disturbance 
should  arise,  it  should  not  be  imputed  to  them. 

The  crisis  had  come.  The  opposition  party  felt 
that  they  could  not  recede,  and  therefore  it  was 
requisite  to  look  to  the  future.  Their  only  hope  of 
successfully  resisting  the  king  was  to  unite  on  some 
easily  understood  principle,  which  should  touch 
the  sympathies  and  the  religious  emotions  of  the 
people.    At  this  stage  an  old  custom  suggested  itself 


SIGNING  THE  COVENANT. 


193 


as  appropriate  to  the  emergency  ;  it  was  proposed,  as 
in  bygone  days,  that  every  adherent  of  the  cause 
should  be  bound  as  one  man  by  a  solemn  Covenant. 
The  framing  of  the  Covenant  was  entrusted  to  the 
Rev.  Alexander  Henderson,  and  Johnston  of  Warris- 
ton,  an  advocate  ;  and  the  Earls  of  Rothes,  Loudon, 
and  Balmerino,  were  selected  to  revise  it.  This 
national  Covenant  consisted  of  three  parts  : — The  first 
was  a  copy  of  the  negative  confession  of  1 58 1  ;  the 
second  contained  a  summary  of  the  Acts  of  Parliament 
which  condemned  Roman  Catholicism,  and  ratified 
the  Reformed  Church  ;  and  the  third  was  the  new 
Covenant,  by  which  the  subscribers  swore  in  the  name 
of  the  "  Lord  their  God,"  that  they  would  remain  in 
the  profession  of  their  religion  ;  that  they  would 
defend  it  to  the  utmost  of  their  power  from  all  errors  ; 
that  they  would  stand  by  the  king's  person  in  support 
of  the  true  religion,  the  liberties,  and  the  laws  of  the 
kingdom  ;  and  that  they  would  stand  by  each  other 
in  defence  of  the  same  against  all  persons. 

When  everything  was  prepared  it  was  resolved  to 
inaugurate  the  Covenant  in  Edinburgh  on  the  28th  of 
February,  1638.  A  multitude  of  the  people  assembled 
in  the  Greyfriars  Church  and  Churchyard,  and  they 
were  warmly  addressed  touching  the  preservation  of 
their  religion,  their  duty  to  God,  and  to  their  country. 
At  two  o'clock  the  Earls  of  Rothes  and  Loudon, 
Henderson  and  Dickson  ministers,  and  Johnston  of 
Warriston,  appeared  with  the  Covenant.  The  Earl  of 
Sutherland  was  the  first  who  signed  it,  and  then  all 
crowded  toward  the  table  and  added  their  names. 
When  those  in  the  Church  had  signed,  it  was  taken 


i94 


THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


out  to  the  churchyard  and  placed  on  a  flat  gravestone. 
There  the  enthusiasm  reached  its  height,  men  and 
women  were  equally  eager  to  subscribe  their  names, 
and  the  work  proceeded  till  every  inch  of  the  long 
roll  of  parchment  was  covered.  At  last  night  closed 
the  scene. 

The  following  day  the  Covenant  was  circulated  in 
Edinburgh,  and  copies  sent  throughout  the  kingdom, 
Everywhere  great  efforts  were  made  to  arouse  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  people,  and  in  two  months  nearly 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  had  signed  the 
Covenant.  The  Privy  Council  were  sitting  in  Stirling 
when  the  Covenant  appeared,  and  were  greatly  em- 
barrassed. After  two  days'  deliberation  they  agreed 
to  send  the  Lord  Justice  Clerk  to  London  to  tell  the 
king  that  the  whole  nation  was  in  a  state  of  vehement 
excitement.  In  April  several  members  of  the  Privy 
Council  were  called  to  the  Court,  and  some  of  the 
bishops  were  already  there,  so  that  Charles  I.  had  a 
good  opportunity  of  learning  the  real  state  of  Scot- 
land. The  Scotch  counsellors  suggested  soothing 
remedies,  and  the  state  of  matters  was  earnestly 
discussed.  At  last  the  king  called  to  his  closet  the 
Archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  St.  Andrews,  the 
Bishops  of  Galloway,  Brechin,  and  Ross,  and  the 
Marquis  of  Hamilton  ;  and  measures  of  repression 
were  adopted.  The  king  announced  that  Hamilton 
would  proceed  to  Scotland  as  High  Commissioner, 
with  power  to  settle  the  troubles.  Charles'  instruc- 
tions to  Hamilton  were  signed  on  the  16th  of  May, 
1638,  and  extended  to  twenty-eight  articles,  of  which 
the  concluding  one  was  in  these  terms  : — "  If  you  can- 


MARQUIS  OF  HAMILTON  AND  COVENANTERS.  195 

not,  by  the  means  prescribed  by  us,  bring  back  the 
refractory  and  seditious  to  due  obedience,  we  do  not 
only  give  you  authority,  but  command  all  hostile  acts 
to  be  used  against  them,  they  having  deserved  to  be 
used  in  no  other  way  by  us,  but  as  a  rebellious  people  ; 
for  the  doing  whereof  we  will  not  only  save  you 
harmless,  but  account  it  acceptable  service  to  us." 
A  proclamation  in  accord  with  these  instructions  was 
prepared,  which  Hamilton  was  to  issue  in  Scotland. 

The  marquis  arrived  early  in  June,  and  soon  found 
that  his  instructions  were  utterly  useless.  He  did  not 
venture  to  publish  the  royal  proclamation  as  he  had 
no  means  to  enforce  it.  He  informed  the  king  that 
he  should  either  concede  all  the  demands  of  his 
subjects  or  be  prepared  to  suppress  the  movement  by 
force.  The  king  replied  that  his  preparations  were 
progressing,  and  meantime  he  told  Hamilton  to  flatter 
the  Covenanters  with  any  hopes  he  pleased,  so  as  to 
gain  time  until  he  should  be  in  a  position  to  suppress 
them.  For,  said  Charles,  "  I  will  rather  die  than  yield 
to  their  impertinent  and  damnable  demands."  Other 
communications  passed  between  the  king  and  Hamil- 
ton, and  the  result  is  thus  stated  by  Charles  :  "  I  will 
only  say  that  so  long  as  this  Covenant  is  in  force, 
whether  it  be  with  or  without  explanations,  I  have  no 
more  power  in  Scotland  than  as  a  Duke  of  Venice, 
which  I  will  rather  die  than  suffer  ;  yet  I  command 
the  giving  ear  to  their  explanations  or  to  anything  to 
win  time." 

Hamilton  saw  that  he  could  do  nothing  to  restore 
the  confidence  of  the  nation,  and  he  returned  to 
London.    Before  leaving  he  issued,  in  an  amended 


Lg6  THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


form,  the  king's  proclamation,  which  had  now  assumed 
an  apologetic  strain  in  defence  of  the  king's  action  ; 
but  it  had  no  effect  on  the  Covenanters.  During 
Hamilton's  absence  they  were  intently  engaged  in 
completing  their  organisation. 

After  some  deliberation  the  king,  with  the  advice  of 
Laud,  issued  new  instructions  to  Hamilton.  He  was 
empowered  under  limits  to  summon  a  general  as- 
sembly and  a  parliament.  He  was  to  arrange  that 
the  bishops  should  have  votes  in  the  Assembly  ;  to 
protest  against  the  abolition  of  bishops,  but  might 
permit  them  to  be  tried  if  accused  of  definite  crimes  ; 
and  to  insist  that  no  laymen  should  vote  in  the  election 
of  ministers  to  the  Assembly. 

When  Hamilton  returned  to  Scotland  on  the  8th 
of  August,  he  found  that  the  demands  of  the  Cove- 
nanters had  risen,  and  that  they  would  not  agree  to 
the  limitations  which  he  proposed.  They  wanted  a 
free  assembly,  and  told  Hamilton  that  it  might  be 
called  by  themselves  without  waiting  for  the  king's 
authority.  Hamilton  received  new  instructions,  and 
the  weakness  and  folly  of  Charles's  policy  became 
painfully  manifest. 

The  nation  was  wistfully  looking  forward  to  the 
General  Assembly.  The  leaders  of  the  Covenanters 
were  actively  engaged  in  preparing  for  its  proper 
constitution.  Their  organisation  was  so  complete 
and  effective  that  the  supporters  of  Episcopacy  gave 
up  the  contest  in  despair,  but  the  king  clung  to  it  after 
all  reasonable  hope  of  success  was  utterly  gone.  As 
the  day  of  the  meeting  of  the  Assembly  approached, 
men  began  to  flock  into  Glasgow  from  all  quarters  of 


GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  AT  GLASGOW.  I97 


the  kingdom.  It  met  on  the  21st  of  November,  1638, 
in  the  Cathedral  of  Glasgow.  The  Covenanters  in- 
sisted that  the  first  requisite  to  constitute  the 
Assembly  was  to  elect  a  moderator  ;  but  Hamilton, 
the  royal  commissioner,  argued  that  a  moderator 
should  not  be  elected  till  the  commissions  of  the 
members  were  examined.  When  it  appeared  that  he 
would  be  defeated,  he  proposed  to  read  a  paper,  in  the 
name  of  the  bishops,  against  the  Assembly,  but  this 
was  met  with  shouts  of  dissent.  A  stormy  debate 
ensued,  followed  by  protests  and  counter  protests, 
which  continued  till  every  one  was  wearied.  Alex- 
ander Henderson,  minister  of  Leuchars,  was  elected 
moderator,  and  Johnston  of  Warriston,  appointed 
clerk  of  the  Assembly.  The  bishops'  declinature  of 
the  Assembly's  authority  was  again  urged  by  Hamil- 
ton, and  read  by  the  clerk  amid  jeers  and  laughter. 
Hamilton  spoke  and  argued  on  its  importance,  and 
parts  of  it  were  debated.  The  moderator  then  put 
the  question,  Whether  the  Assembly  found  itself  a 
competent  judge  of  the  bishops  ?  Hamilton  rose  and 
said,  if  the  Assembly  proceeded  to  censure  the  offices 
of  the  bishops  he  must  immediately  withdraw,  as  the 
king's  sanction  could  not  be  given  to  it.  Able  and 
animated  speeches  were  delivered  on  the  freedom  of 
the  Assembly,  to  which  Hamilton  replied  by  arguing 
that  the  election  of  the  members  had  been  controlled 
by  the  Tables.  At  last,  in  the  king's  name,  he  dis- 
solved the  Assembly  and  departed.  But  a  protest 
was  read,  a  vote  taken,  and  the  Assembly  resolved  to 
continue  its  sittings. 

It  proceeded  rapidly  with  its  work.    All  the  acts 


THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


of  the  Assemblies  since  1605  were  annulled.  The 
book  of  canons,  the  liturgy,  the  High  Commission,  and 
Episcopacy  were  condemned.  The  bishops  were 
tried,  convicted,  and  condemned,  though  none  of 
them  were  present.  They  had  always  allied  them- 
selves with  the  despotic  tendencies  of  the  Crown  ; 
they  were  the  mere  tools  of  the  king,  and  belonged 
to  him,  not  to  the  people  ;  they  were  intended  to  be, 
and  to  the  utmost  limits  of  their  power  had  been, 
the  pliant  instruments  of  the  royal  will  and  pleasure, 
not  the  servants  of  the  nation.  The  presbyterian 
polity  and  organisation  was  restored.  Acts  were 
passed  touching  education,  and  many  other  important 
subjects.  The  Assembly  closed  its  work  by  appoint- 
ing its  next  meeting  to  be  held  at  Edinburgh  in  July, 
1639. 

After  the  conclusions  of  the  Assembly,  civil  war 
became  inevitable,  and  both  sides  were  preparing 
for  the  conflict.  General  Alexander  Leslie,  who  had 
acquired  much  experience,  and  attained  to  rank  in 
the  German  wars,  was  appointed  leader  of  the  Cove- 
nanting army.  He  soon  organised  a  force  and 
equipped  it  for  the  field.  The  Covenanters  seized 
the  castles  of  Edinburgh,  Dumbarton,  and  other 
strongholds. 

Charles  I.  had  ordered  his  army  to  muster  at  York, 
in  April,  1639.  He  proposed  to  lead  the  army  in 
person,  and  sent  his  fleet  into  the  Firth  of  Forth. 
But  ere  the  king  arrived  at  York,  the  whole  of 
Scotland  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Covenanters.  In 
May,  the  Covenanting  army  was  encamped  at 
Dunse  Law  ;  and  Charles  posted  his  army  on  the 


COVENANTERS  IN  ARMS. 


igg 


opposite  side  of  the  Tweed.  The  two  armies  watched 
each  other  for  several  days,  and  both  seemed  un- 
willing to  strike.  The  Covenanters  knew  their  ad- 
vantages, but  if  the  king  had  honestly  granted  their 
reasonable  requests  without  battle,  they  would  have 
been  glad.  An  arrangement  was  made,  by  which  the 
religious  matters  in  dispute  were  to  be  referred  to 
the  General  Assembly  and  to  Parliament.  Peace 
was  proclaimed  on  the  18th  of  June.  Rut  mutual 
confidence  between  the  king  and  the  Scots  was  not 
restored. 

Charles  trifled  with  the  serious  matters  in  dispute, 
and  the  causes  of  dissension  were  intensified.  He 
had  determined  to  chastise  the  Scots,  and  summoned 
his  English  parliament,  which  met  in  April,  1640. 
A  majority  of  Parliament  refused  to  grant  supplies 
till  they  obtained  the  redress  of  their  grievances  ; 
but  rather  than  yield,  the  king  in  anger  dissolved 
the  House  of  Commons.  Difficulties  now  gathered 
thickly  around  him.  The  Scotch  Parliament  met  in 
June,  and  repealed  all  the  Acts  which  permitted 
churchmen  to  sit  and  vote  in  Parliament.  It  enacted 
that  a  parliament  should  meet  every  three  years, 
and  appointed  a  permanent  committee  of  members 
to  act  when  Parliament  was  not  sitting. 

The  Covenanters  were  engaged  in  organising 
their  army  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1640. 
Under  Leslie  they  marched  southward,  crossed  the 
Tweed  on  the  21st  of  August,  advanced  and  forced 
the  passage  of  the  Tyne,  and  on  the  30th  took 
possession  of  Newcastle.  Charles  with  an  army  of 
18,000  men  was  encamped  at  York  ;  and  the  Cove- 


CHARLES  I.  IN  THE  SCOTCH  PARLIAMENT.  201 


nanters  petitioned  him  to  listen  to  their  grievances, 
and  with  the  concurrence  of  the  English  Parliament 
to  conclude  a  lasting  peace.  At  the  same  time  a 
number  of  English  nobles  petitioned  the  king  to 
summon  a  parliament,  and  his  difficulties  daily  in- 
creased. He  offered  to  negotiate  with  the  Covenan- 
ters, and  summoned  the  English  Parliament  to  meet 
at  Westminster,  on  the  3rd  of  November — a  parlia- 
ment afterwards  known  as  "  the  Long  Parliament/' 
Parties  appointed  by  the  king  and  the  Covenanters 
met  at  Ripon,  and  agreed  that  the  Scotch  army 
should  remain  inactive  at  Newcastle.  Thus  matters 
stood  for  some  time  ;  and  the  place  of  negotiating 
was  transferred  to  London.  After  long  treating, 
terms  of  peace  were  agreed  to,  and  ratified  in  August, 
1641. 

At  this  time  Charles,  wishing  to  please  the  Scots, 
resolved  to  visit  Scotland,  and  arrived  in  Edinburgh 
in  August.  Parliament  being  then  in  session,  the 
king  attended  a  meeting,  and  delivered  a  speech. 
He  touched  on  the  difficulties  which  had  arisen  be- 
tween him  and  his  subjects,  of  his  anxiety  to 
settle  them,  and  of  his  love  for  his  native  country 
which  had  caused  him  to  face  many  dangers  to 
be  present  at  that  time.  He  referred  to  the  royal 
power  transmitted  to  him  through  one  hundred  and 
eight  descents,  which  they  had  so  often  professed 
to  maintain.  Charles  in  concluding  said,  -  The  end 
of  my  coming  is  to  perfect  all  that  I  have  promised  ; 
and  withal,  to  quiet  those  distractions  which  have 
and  may  fall  out  amongst  you  ;  and  this  I  am 
resolved  fully  and  cheerfully  to  do ;   for  I  can  do 


2  02 


THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


nothing  with  more  cheerfulness  than  to  give  my 
people  content  and  satisfaction." 

The  Covenanters  might  have  been  satisfied  as  they 
had  obtained  all  that  they  demanded.  But  other  views 
had  entered  into  their  minds,  and  they  now  desired  to 
give  their  principles  a  wider  range  of  application. 
Charles  seems  to  have  imagined  that  he  would  be 
able  to  overcome  the  English,  if  he  could  pacify 
the  Scots  ;  and  he  left  Edinburgh  for  England  on 
the  1 8th  of  November.  The  breach  between  him 
and  his  English  subjects  was  constantly  widening. 
He  was  forced  to  leave  London,  and  removed  his 
court  to  York,  in  the  spring  of  1642. 

Communications  passed  between  the  English  Par- 
liamentary party  and  the  Covenanters.  The  General 
Assembly  met  at  Edinburgh  on  the  2nd  of  August, 
1643  when  Sir  Thomas  Hope,  the  Lord  Advocate, 
appeared  as  royal  commissioner.  On  the  7th,  four 
commissioners  from  the  Long  Parliament  landed  at 
Leith,  among  whom  was  Sir  Henry  Vane  ;  and  in 
a  few  days  they  were  introduced  to  the  Assembly. 
They  said  that  they  warmly  appreciated  the  energy  of 
the  Covenanters  in  extinguishing  popery  ;  that  they 
were  anxious  to  have  this  reform  completed  in  Eng- 
land ;  that  they  had  already  abolished  the  High 
Commission  and  Episcopacy,  expelled  the  bishops 
from  the  House  of  Lords,  and  summoned  an 
assembly  of  divines  which  had  met  at  Westminster. 
Therefore,  they  entreated  the  Covenanters  to  assist 
their  brethren  in  England,  who  were  so  hard 
pressed  by  the  king's  forces,  and  exposed  to  the 
utmost  peril.     The  proposal  was  much  discussed, 


THE  SOLEMN  LEAGUE  AND  COVENANT.  20[\ 

and  there  was  difference  of  opinion  in  the  Assembly. 
Some  proposed  to  mediate  between  the  king  and 
Parliament,  and  not  commit  themselves  further  ;  but 
the  opposite  views  of  Johnston  of  Warriston  and 
others  prevailed,  and  it  was  agreed  to  assist  the 
leaders  of  the  Long  Parliament.  There  was  much 
debate  on  the  tenor  of  the  agreement.  The  English 
proposed  a  civil  league,  the  Scots  would  listen  to 
nothing  but  a  religious  covenant.  The  English 
suggested  that  toleration  should  be  given  to  the 
Independents,  but  the  Scots  would  tolerate  nothing 
but  Presbyterianism  in  both  kingdoms.  After  a  long 
and  characteristic  debate,  "  the  Solemn  League  and 
Covenant"  was  placed  before  the  Assembly,  and 
unanimously  adopted.  All  the  parties  to  this  Cove- 
nant bound  themselves  to  preserve  the  Reformed 
religion  in  Scotland  ;  to  work  for  the  reformation  of 
religion  in  England  and  Ireland  ;  to  struggle  to  the 
utmost  to  bring  the  Churches  in  the  three  kingdoms 
to  a  uniformity  of  faith,  of  polity,  and  form  of  wor- 
ship ;  to  endeavour  to  extinguish  popery,  episcopacy, 
heresy,  schism,  and  everything  opposed  to  sound 
doctrine ;  to  preserve  the  rights  of  the  Parliaments 
and  the  liberties  of  the  three  kingdoms ;  to  preserve 
and  defend  the  king's  person,  and  his  just  power, 
authority,  and  greatness  unimpaired. 

A  copy  of  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  was 
carried  to  London.  On  the  22nd  of  September, 
1643,  the  members  of  the  House  of  Commons,  the 
House  of  Lords,  and  the  Westminster  Assembly  of 
divines,  all  signed  it  ;  and  afterwards  it  was  signed 
by  many  in  every  county  of  England.    Its  immediate 


204  THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


effect  was  that  a  Scotch  army  of  twenty  thousand 
men  crossed  the  Tweed  to  assist  the  Parliamentary 
forces. 

The  government  of  Scotland  was  managed  by  the 
committee  of  Parliament  and  the  commission  of  the 
General  Assembly.  But  the  nation  was  not  all  of 
one  mind,  and  some  of  the  nobles  formed  a  royalist 
party.  The  Earl  of  Montrose  had  been  for  years  an 
ardent  Covenanter,  but  he  turned  to  the  king's  side, 
and  was  commissioned  to  raise  the  royal  standard  in 
August,  1644.  He  was  soon  at  the  head  of  three 
thousand  men,  a  part  of  whom  were  Irish.  His  short 
career  and  exploits  have  often  been  detailed,  and  it  is 
needless  to  repeat  them,  as  his  victories  had  little 
effect  on  the  main  stream  of  history. 

Since  the  battle  of  Marston  Moor,  in  July,  1644, 
in  which  the  Scots  under  David  Leslie  were  engaged, 
the  king's  cause  had  been  falling  lower  and  lower. 
At  last  driven  to  despair,  he  fled  to  the  Scotch  army 
at  Newcastle,  in  May,  1646.  The  Long  Parliament 
demanded  that  the  Scots  should  surrender  him,  but 
they  declined.  They  were  eager  to  extend  Presby- 
terianism  to  England,  and  attempted  to  negotiate  with 
the  king.  He  was  asked  to  abolish  Episcopacy,  to 
ratify  the  proceedings  of  the  Westminster  Assembly 
of  divines,  and  to  sign  the  Covenant  himself.  But 
Charles  on  his  conscience  declined,  as  he  believed  in 
the  Divine  right  of  Episcopacy. 

The  Long  Parliament  announced  that  the  Scottish 
army  was  no  longer  required  in  England,  and  the 
Scots  replied  that  they  were  ready  to  retire  as  soon 
as  their  arrears  were  paid.    In  the  matter  of  pay 


DIFFICULTIES  ABOUT  PAY  OF  THE  SCOTS.  205 

there  was  a  serious  difficulty,  for  between  the  amount 
claimed  by  the  Scots,  and  the  amount  admitted 
by  the  English  as  due,  there  was  a  difference  of  more 
than  half  a  million.  The  difference  between  the  two 
accounts  mainly  related  to  provisions  which  the 
English  charged  in  "  full,  but  the  greater  part  of 
which  the  Scots  asserted  never  came  to  them,  it 
having  been  taken  by  the  enemy,  part  lost  and  part 
damaged.  The  sum  claimed  by  the  Scots  was  nearly 
two  millions,  of  which  they  acknowledged  the  receipt 
of  seven  hundred  thousand,  but  which  by  the  English 
mode  of  reckoning  amounted  to  fourteen  hundred 
thousand  ;  thus  leaving  seven  hundred  thousand  of 
a  difference  between  the  sum  claimed  by  the  Scotch, 
and  the  sum  admitted  as  due  by  the  Long  Parlia- 
ment. A  long  wrangle  between  the  parties  ensued. 
Every  item  in  the  account  was  minutely  examined 
and  hotly  debated,  till  at  last  the  Scots  offered  to 
accept  a  gross  sum  of  five  hundred  thousand  pounds. 
On  this  there  was  a  long  and  vehement  debate  in  the 
Long  Parliament ;  finally  the  English  agreed  to  pay 
four  hundred  thousand  pounds,  one  fourth  before  the 
Scots  left  Newcastle,  and  the  remainder  by  instal- 
ments. 

The  Long  Parliament  resolved  to  dispose  of  the 
king's  person  as  it  thought  fit  ;  the  Scots  objected, 
but  in  vain.  The  English  determinedly  insisted  that 
they  must  have  the  king.  At  last  the  Scotch  Par- 
liament consented  to  let  him  go  to  Holmby,  in 
Northamptonshire,  "  there  to  remain  till  he  give 
satisfaction  to  both  kingdoms  ;  but,  in  the  interim, 
that  there  be  no  harm,  injury,  or  violence  done  to  his 


206  THE  COVENANTING  CONFLICT. 


person."  On  the  23rd  of  January,  1647,  the  English 
commissioners  received  the  king  at  Newcastle;  and 
on  the  30th  the  Scotch  army  withdrew. 

The  narrative  of  the  trial  of  Charles  I.,  belongs  to 
English  history,  and  has  often  been  admirably  told. 
The  Scotch  Parliament,  through  its  commissioners  in 
London,  remonstrated  against  any  injury  to  the  king's 
person,  and  reaffirmed  that  it  was  on  this  condition 
they  consented  to  part  with  him  ;  but  his  fate  was 
decreed.  On  the  30th  of  January,  1649,  he  was 
beheaded  before  his  own  palace  at  Whitehall.  It 
was  Charles's  lot  to  be  educated  in  a  one-sided  and 
pernicious  political  belief.  He  was  incapable  of 
distinguishing  between  his  moral  and  political  rights, 
which  led  his  comparatively  narrow  mind  to  assume 
and  to  maintain  that  his  political  position  gave  him 
an  unquestionable  right  to  dictate  to  his  subjects  the 
form  of  their  worship.  He  forced  himself  into  trying 
circumstances,  and  found  himself  face  to  face  with 
great  political  and  religious  difficulties,  which  he  failed 
to  appreciate  and  surmount. 


XIV. 

CHARLES  IL     THE  KINGDOM  UNDER  CROMWELL. 

Parliament  was  sitting  when  tidings  of  the  king's 
execution  reached  Scotland,  and  on  the  5th  of 
February,  1649,  his  son,  Charles  II.  was  proclaimed 
king.  The  national  sentiment  of  the  Scots  inclined 
to  monarchical  government,  their  Covenants  recog- 
nized it,  and  they  had  no  idea  of  establishing  a 
republic.  Two  days  after  the  proclamation,  Parlia- 
ment expressed  the  sentiment  of  the  nation  in  an 
Act  which  declared  that  before  the  young  king  was 
admitted  to  the  exercise  of  his  functions,  he  should 
sign  and  swear  the  national  Covenant,  and  the 
Solemn  League  and  Covenant  ;  that  he  should 
consent  to  the  Acts  of  Parliament  enjoining  these 
Covenants  ;  and  that  he  should  never  attempt  to 
change  any  of  them.  Further,  that  he  should  dismiss 
the  counsel  of  all  those  opposed  to  the  Covenants 
and  religion  ;  that  he  should  give  satisfaction  to 
Parliament  in  everything  requisite  for  settling  a  last- 
ing peace  ;  and  that  he  should  consent  that  all  civil 
matters  should  be  determined  by  Parliament,  and 
ecclesiastical  matters  by  the  General  Assembly. 


208  THE  KINGDOM  UNDER  CROMWELL. 

On  the  6th  of  March  Parliament  commissioned  the 
Earl  of  Cassillis  and  others  to  proceed  to  Holland 
and  offer  the  Crown  to  the  young  king  on  the  con- 
ditions indicated  in  the  preceding  paragraph.  But 
Charles  declined  to  commit  himself,  and  no  arrange- 
ment was  made.  Early  in  the  spring  of  1650,  treating 
with  the  prince  was  resumed  on  the  same  conditions. 
After  some  conversation  Charles  agreed  to  the  terms 
of  the  Scots,  and,  embarking  for  the  home  of  his 
fathers,  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Spey  on  the 
23rd  of  June.  There  he  signed  the  Covenant,  landed 
the  following  day,  and  thence  proceeded  southward. 
The  Scots  determined  that  the  king  should  conform 
to  the  national  principles. 

The  Covenanters  were  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
party  at  the  head  of  the  English  Commonwealth,  and 
this  party  were  deeply  offended  at  the  movement  in 
Scotland  on  behalf  of  the  young  king.  Accordingly, 
Cromwell  entered  Scotland  in  July,  and  advanced  to 
the  vicinity  of  Edinburgh  ;  but  was  unable  to  take 
it.  He  retired  to  Dunbar,  where  a  severe  battle 
was  fought  on  the  3rd  of  September,  in  which  the 
Covenanters  were  completely  defeated.  Shortly  after 
Cromwell  seized  Edinburgh,  and  in  the  middle  of 
October  was  master  of  the  south-eastern  counties. 

The  Scots  became  more  divided  among  themselves, 
as  in  the  heat  of  conflict  there  had  arisen  several 
minute  differences  of  opinion  and  sentiment  on  the 
burning  questions  of  the  time,  which  each  party 
maintained  with  characteristic  determination.  There 
were  three  parties  in  Scotland.  The  Government, 
with  the  Marquis  of  Argyle  at  its  head,  consisted  of 


SCOTS  DEFEATED.     GENERAL  MONK.  20Q 

the  committee  of  Parliament  and  the  commission  of 
the  General  Assembly  ;  and  the  body  of  the  clergy 
who  supported  the  Government  and  the  resolutions  of 
Parliament,  were  called  the  Resolutioners.  They 
seconded  the  efforts  of  the  Government  to  defend  the 
kingdom  by  all  available  means.  Then,  the  more 
extreme  party  of  Covenanters,  who  maintained  that 
though  the  king  had  signed  the  Covenant,  yet  on 
his  part  it  was  a  mere  sham  ;  and  this  section  were 
called  Protesters.  Apart  from  both  the  presbyterian 
parties,  stood  the  extreme  Royalist  party,  who 
numbered  in  their  ranks  the  Marquis  of  Huntly,  the 
Earls  of  Athole,  Seaforth,  and  others ;  these  were 
open  enemies  of  the  Covenants. 

In  spite  of  the  internal  commotion  the  king  was 
crowned  at  Scone  on  the  1st  of  January,  165 1  ;  and 
he  again  swore  to  maintain  the  national  Covenant, 
and  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant.  As  the 
Scots  were  unable  to  repulse  the  English  army,  they 
resolved  on  a  raid  across  the  border.  Charles  II. 
accompanied  the  Scotch  army  into  England  ;  but 
Cromwell  with  a  part  of  his  force  followed  him.  A 
battle  ensuing  at  Worcester  on  the  3rd  of  September, 
the  Royalists  were  defeated,  and  the  king  escaped  to 
the  Continent 

After  this,  General  Monk  undertook  the  reduction 
of  Scotland,  and  executed  it  more  thoroughly  than 
Edward  I.  On  the  28th  of  August,  the  committee  of 
Parliament  were  surprised  and  captured  in  Angus, 
with  five  members  of  the  commission  of  the  General 
Assembly,  and  they  were  all  sent  prisoners  to 
England.    The  Lowlands  submitted  to  the  English 


210  THE  KINGDOM  UNDER  CROMWELL. 

army  ;  but  some  resistance  continued  to  be  offered 
by  the  Royalists  in  the  Highlands.  They  also  were 
shortly  subdued,  and  the  country  reduced  to  order. 

When  the  nation  was  subdued,  the  Government  of 
the  Commonwealth  was  disposed  to  treat  Scotland 
justly,  according  to  its  own  view  of  the  necessities  of 
the  case.  The  aim  of  Cromwell  and  his  associates,  so 
far  as  it  appears,  was  to  amalgamate  the  two  nations 
into  one  republic.  Cromwell  made  a  bold  attempt 
to  extinguish  the  feudal  power  of  the  Scotch  nobles. 
He  placed  twenty  garrisons  in  the  kingdom,  and  kept 
an  army  of  from  seven  thousand  to  nine  thousand 
men  in  the  country.  The  taxes  imposed  to  support 
this  force  pressed  hard  on  the  Scots  ;  but  then  peace 
and  security  reigned,  which  was  not  to  be  lightly 
estimated. 

The  most  successful  part  of  the  incorporating 
scheme  was  the  adoption  of  free  trade  between  the 
two  countries.  This  was  a  great  advantage  to  the 
Scots. 

Cromwell  placed  the  civil  administration  of  Scot- 
land in  the  hands  of  a  council  of  nine  men,  most  of 
whom  were  Englishmen.  The  Court  of  Session  was 
superseded  by  a  supreme  commission  of  justice, 
consisting  of  seven  judges,  four  English  and  three 
Scotch.  They  had  to  deal  with  the  attempted  change 
in  the  laws,  already  indicated,  the  abolition  of  the 
feudal  system,  and  the  adjustment  of  the  many 
entangled  interests  thence  arising.  A  collection  of 
their  decisions  is  preserved,  and  they  are  marked  by 
good  sense  and  careful  work. 

By  an  ordinance  of  1654,  another  body  of  seven 


DEATH  OF  CROMWELL.     GENERAL  MONK.  211 


men  were  constituted  trustees  of  forfeited  and  seques- 
trated estates.  Their  duties  were  to  look  after  the 
rents  and  the  revenues  of  the  many  Scotch  nobles 
and  lairds  whose  estates  had  been  seized  by  the 
Government  for  offences  arising  out  of  the  conquest 
They  were  instructed  to  pay  creditors,  and  to  give 
allowances  to  the  wives,  the  widows,  and  the  children 
of  the  original  owners  of  the  estates. 

In  1656,  Baillie  said:  "Our  State  is  in  a  very 
silent  condition.  Strong  garrisons  over  all  the  land, 
and  a  great  army,  both  of  horse  and  foot,  for  which 
there  is  no  service  at  all.  Our  nobles  lying  in  prisons, 
and  under  forfeitures  or  debts,  private  or  public,  are 
for  the  most  part  either  broken  or  breaking." 

On  the  3rd  of  September,  1658,  Cromwell  died. 
Though  the  supreme  power  which  he  had  won  by  his 
energy  passed  on  to  his  son  Richard,  this  man  was 
unequal  for  the  task  imposed  on  him,  and  in  a  few 
months  retired  into  private  life.  The  government  of 
the  three  kingdoms  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  leaders 
of  the  armies,  and  they  then  began  a  scramble 
for  the  summit  of  power ;  but  Oliver's  mantle 
had  not  descended  upon  any  of  them.  So  the 
traditions  and  sentiments  associated  with  the  glory 
of  the  throne  and  the  monarchy  were  soon  in  the 
ascendant.  Many  circumstances  aided  General  Monk, 
and  he  assumed  the  guidance  of  the  issue.  He  was 
at  the  head  of  the  army  in  Scotland,  and  having 
collected  his  forces,  he  carefully  prepared  to  march 
into  England.  He  called  a  meeting  of  the  chief  men 
and  advised  them  to  preserve  the  internal  peace  of 
the  kingdom  ;  and  they  aided  him  with  a  sum  of 


212  THE  KINGDOM  UNDER  CROMWELL. 


money.  In  November,  1659,  he  began  his  march 
and  entered  England  in  the  beginning  of  1660.  After 
various  moves,  Monk  declared  in  favour  of  a  free 
parliament,  which  met  in  March,  and  resolved  to 
recall  the  king.  And  Charles  II.  entered  London,  on 
the  29th  of  May,  amid  the  applause  of  the  people. 


XV. 


RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 

THE  Restoration  in  both  divisions  of  the  island 
was  a  reactionary  movement,  which  arose  partly  from 
the  customary  notions  of  the  people  ;  while  amongst 
the  nobility  the  traditional  feelings  associated  with 
the  Crown  were  interwoven  with  their  own  privileges 
of  rank,  of  wealth,  and  of  power,  in  the  social  organi- 
sation and  the  constitution  of  the  monarchy.  Under 
the  Commonwealth  the  hereditary  nobles  had  suffered 
enormously.  They  had  been  deprived  of  power, 
harassed,  imprisoned,  banished,  and  many  of  them 
ruined.  With  the  hope  of  escaping  from  this  depres- 
sion, the  Lords  and  Commons  of  England  committed 
themselves  to  the  discretion  of  Charles  II.  But  what 
had  happened  could  not  be  completely  reversed  nor 
the  recollection  of  it  extinguished. 

Scotland  suffered  far  more  from  the  Restoration 
than  England.  It  was  an  easy  matter  to  turn  the 
Church  of  England  into  her  original  groove.  The 
task  undertaken  by  the  Government  of  Charles  II.  in 
Scotland  was  more  difficult ;  it  was  an  attempt  to 
turn  aside  the  current  of  religious  thought  and  sen- 


214  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 


timent  sprung  from  the  Reformation  of  1560.  The 
attempt  failed  ;  although  everything  was  done  to 
crush  the  spirit  of  the  people  and  to  extinguish  their 
liberty. 

Many  of  the  Scotch  nobles  flocked  to  London, 
eager  to  present  their  claims  for  posts  in  the  new 
government  of  the  kingdom.  The  civil  war  and  the 
subjection  of  the  nation  under  Cromwell  had  rendered 
them  extremely  poor  and  demoralised  ;  so  they 
were  more  alert  than  ever  to  grasp  at  anything  that 
seemed  likely  to  advance  their  interest.  Therefore, 
they  elected  to  follow  the  king  and  the  Court  in 
whatever  might  be  proposed  ;  principles  and  convic- 
tions were  cast  aside  with  scorn  ;  Covenants,  equity, 
and  justice,  might  go  to  the  wall,  but  Charles  II.  must 
be  upheld.  The  Earl  of  Rothes  was  appointed 
President  of  the  Council,  Glencairn  Chancellor, 
Crawford  Treasurer,  and  Sir  John  Fletcher,  Lord 
Advocate.  And  it  was  agreed  that  the  committee  of 
Parliament  held  at  Stirling  in  1650,  should  resume 
the  government. 

The  committee  of  Parliament  arrested  the  Rev. 
James  Guthrie  and  other  ministers,  and  imprisoned 
them  in  the  castle  of  Edinburgh.  Public  meetings 
were  prohibited  and  petitioning  was  suppressed.  The 
ministers  were  specially  warned  to  be  careful  of  their 
language  in  sermons,  prayers,  and  conversation.  On 
the  8th  of  July,  i56o,  the  Marquis  of  Argyle  was 
seized  in  London  and  lodged  in  the  Tower ;  at  the 
same  time  orders  were  issued  to  arrest  Johnston  of 
Warriston,  and  other  gentlemen. 

Parliament  met  on  the  1st  of  January,  1661,  and 


NEW  PARLIAMENT.     EXECUTIONS.  215 


the  Earl  of  Middleton  appeared  as  royal  commissioner. 
The  new  parliament  immediately  proceeded  to  busi- 
ness, and  passed  Acts  in  accord  with  the  inclination 
of  Charles  II.  The  grand  achievement  of  the  session 
was  an  Act  which  repealed  all  the  legislation  of 
Scotland  from  1633  to  the  Restoration.  Thus 
Presbyterianism  ceased  to  be  the  established  religion 
of  the  nation.  Some  of  the  presbyteries  and  synods 
warmly  protested  against  the  re-introduction  of 
Episcopacy  ;  but  in  many  instances  they  were  forcibly 
dissolved,  and  in  others  the  party  on  the  side  of  the 
Government  ordered  the  meetings  to  be  cleared  of 
rebels,  and  by  such  means  the  opposition  was  stifled. 

The  Government  sacrificed  a  few  victims  as  a 
warning  to  others.  The  Marquis  of  Argyle  was 
placed  at  the  bar  of  Parliament  and  accused  of 
treason.  After  a  long  trial,  he  was  convicted,  con- 
demned, and  executed  at  Edinburgh  on  the  27th  of 
May,  1661.  The  Rev.  James  Guthrie,  minister  of  Stir- 
ling, was  summoned  before  Parliament  and  accused  of 
treason.  The  chief  points  of  the  charge  against  him 
were  that  he  contrived  and  presented  to  the  committee 
of  Parliament  a  document  called  "  The  Western 
Remonstrance,"  that  he  was  the  author  of  a 
pamphlet  entitled  "  The  Causes  of  God's  Wrath,"  and 
that  he  had  declined  his  Majesty's  jurisdiction.  Such 
charges  might  have  been  brought  against  any  one. 
But  Guthrie  was  condemned  and  executed.  Other 
ministers  were  accused  before  Parliament  and  sen- 
tenced to  undergo  various  punishments.  Johnston  of 
Warriston  had  escaped  to  the  Continent,  but  he  was 
condemned  in  his  absence.    He  was  afterwards  taken 


2l6  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 

in  France,  conveyed  to  Scotland,  and  executed  at 
Edinburgh. 

The  privy  council  was  reconstructed  and  invested 
with  new  powers.  It  was  entrusted  with  the  powers 
of  parliament  in  the  intervals  between  the  sessions. 
Thus  it  had  political,  legislative,  and  judicial  functions, 
and  it  wielded  its  new  authority  with  an  imperious 
hand.  The  Court  of  Session  was  reconstituted  to 
supersede  the  courts  which  Cromwell  had  introduced. 

Acting  on  the  king's  instructions  the  privy  council 
proclaimed  the  reintroduction  of  Episcopacy  in  Sep- 
tember, 1661  ;  and  the  scramble  for  the  bishoprics 
immediately  began.  James  Sharp  had  secured  the 
primacy  for  himself ;  and  the  other  bishops  selected 
by  the  Court  were  men  of  meagre  abilities,  poorly 
qualified  to  command  the  respect  and  reverence 
of  the  people.  But  the  king  and  the  council  en- 
joined the  people  to  pay  all  due  deference  to  the 
archbishops  and  bishops.  Parliament  passed  Acts  to 
secure  the  new  order,  patronage  was  restored,  and  the 
ministers  were  'commanded  to  receive  presentation 
from  their  patrons  and  institution  from  their  bishops. 
The  new  hierarchy  thrust  upon  the  nation  was  a 
curious  establishment :  it  had  no  liturgy  ;  the  whole 
discipline  of  the  Church  was  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  bishops  ;  and  the  bishops  themselves  were  entirely 
dependent  on  the  king,  who  was  made  pope  and 
despot  by  the  parliament  of  Scotland. 

In  the  end  of  September,  1662,  the  royal  commis- 
sioner and  members  of  the  privy  council  proceeded  to 
the  west  to  enforce  obedience  to  the  bishops  and  the 
new  laws.    The  Archbishop  of  Glasgow  complained 


THREE  HUNDRED  MINISTERS  EJECTED.  2IJ 


that  few  of  the  ministers  in  his  district  had  presented 
themselves  for  institution.  On  the  1st  of  October 
the  council  met  in  Glasgow,  and  passed  an  Act  which 
announced  that  all  the  ministers  who  had  not  com- 
plied with  the  law  should  lose  their  livings,  and 
commanded  them  to  remove  from  their  manses  and 
parishes  before  the  1st  of  November,  and  not  to  reside 
within  the  bounds  of  their  respective  presbyteries. 
Three  hundred  of  the  ministers  left  their  parishes 
rather  than  subject  themselves  to  Episcopacy  and 
political  bondage.  These  presbyterian  ministers  and 
all  who  joined  them  were  severely  punished. 

A  contest  arose  between  Middleton,  the  royal 
commissioner,  and  the  Earl  of  Lauderdale,  the  secre- 
tary. In  the  spring  of  1663,  Middleton's  commission 
was  recalled,  and  the  king  dismissed  him.  The  Earl 
of  Rothes  was  appointed  royal  commissioner ;  but 
Lauderdale  obtained  and  long  held  the  ascendency  in 
the  government  of  Scotland. 

Rothes  and  Lauderdale  arrived  in  Edinburgh  in 
June,  1663,  and  Parliament  reassembled  on  the  1 8th. 
Another  oppressive  Act  was  passed  to  subdue  all 
opposition  to  the  bishops  and  the  new  curates.  It 
reasserted  that  the  king  had  determined  to  maintain 
the  government  of  the  Church  by  archbishops  and 
bishops,  "  and  not  to  endure  nor  give  in  to  any 
variation  in  the  least."  The  ejected  ministers  were 
prohibited  from  preaching  or  assuming  any  of  their 
functions  under  the  penalty  of  sedition.  All  persons 
were  commanded  to  attend  public  worship  in  their 
own  parish  churches  on  Sunday  ;  and,  if  absent,  they 
incurred  the  following  fines  ; — Each  noble  or  land- 


2l8  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 


owner  the  sum  of  one-fourth  of  his  annual  rental ; 
each  tenant  a  fourth  of  his  movable  goods  ;  each 
burgess  a  fourth  of  his  movable  goods  and  the  loss 
of  his  freedom  of  trading  and  all  privileges  in  the 
borough.    This  Act  was  rigorously  enforced. 

Some  of  the  ejected  ministers  still  resided  in  their 
parishes,  and  the  people  flocked  to  hear  their  preach- 
ing. Thus  the  religious  meetings  arose  which  the 
authorities  called  "  Conventicles/'  meaning  unlawful 
or  seditious  meetings.  The  privy  council  issued  a 
series  of  oppressive  Acts  against  persons  who  attended 
such  meetings,  or  absented  themselves  from  the 
churches  on  Sunday.  Detachments  of  troops  were 
sent  to  the  west,  the  south-west,  and  the  south,  to 
execute  the  law  upon  all  who  withdrew  from  the 
parish  churches  and  exact  the  fines  from  all  offenders. 
The  process  of  fining  was  summary.  The  curate 
accused  whom  he  pleased  to  any  one  of  the  officers 
of  the  army,  who  acted  as  judge  ;  no  witnesses  were 
required  ;  and  the  soldiers  executed  the  sentence. 
Very  often  the  fine  far  exceeded  what  the  law 
allowed. 

The  persecution  continued  with  increasing  severity. 
At  last  the  people,  driven  past  the  limits  of  human 
endurance  and  goaded  to  desperation,  turned  on 
their  oppressors.  The  first  open  act  of  resistance 
occurred  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village  of  Darly,  in 
Galloway,  in  November,  1666,  when  four  countrymen 
rescued  an  old  man  whom  the  soldiers  were  mal- 
treating to  extort  his  church  fines.  They  were  soon 
ioined  by  others,  and  disarmed  the  small  detachment 
of  soldiers  quartered  in  the  district.    Having  com- 


DEFEAT  OF  THE  COVENANTERS.  2ig 

mitted  themselves,  they  resolved  to  surprise  Sir 
James  Turner  and  marched  on  Dumfries.  They 
entered  the  town  on  the  morning  of  the  15th  of 
November,  took  Sir  James  a  prisoner,  and  disarmed 
his  men. 

They  proceeded  to  Ayrshire,  where  they  expected 
much  support.  But  some  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
county  were  in  prison,  few  joined  their  standard,  and  the 
enterprise  seemed  hopeless.  The  insurgents  then 
marched  into  Lanark,  and  in  that  county  their  num- 
bers reached  two  thousand  men  ;  but  they  had  no  or- 
ganisation or  discipline.  They  renewed  the  Covenant 
and  issued  a  manifesto.  They  advanced  to  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Edinburgh,  but  were  unable  to  take  it, 
and  retired  southward  to  the  Pentland  Hills.  On  the 
28th  of  November,  Dalziel,  with  the  royal  army,  came 
upon  the  insurgents ;  and  after  a  slight  encounter 
completely  defeated  them.  About  fifty  of  the  insur- 
gents were  slain,  and  one  hundred  taken  prisoners. 

The  prisoners  were  taken  to  Edinburgh  to  be  tried. 
Some  of  them  were  unmercifully  tortured  with  the 
boot  to  extort  a  confession,  but  they  had  nothing 
to  confess.  Nineteen  of  them  wrere  hanged  in 
Edinburgh,  and  some  in  Glasgow,  Ayr,  Irvine,  and 
Dumfries  ;  altogether  forty  were  executed.  Military 
execution  followed,  Dalziel  and  Drummond  were  dis- 
patched westward  to  crush  the  spirit  of  rebellion,  and 
compel  the  people  to  embrace  Episcopacy.  The  army 
acted  with  more  rapacity  than  if  it  had  been  in  an 
enemy's  country,  for  everywhere  the  soldiers  took  free 
quarters.  On  the  roads  and  in  the  fields  they  com- 
mitted robbery  and  murder  with  impunity;  complaints 


220  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 


only  occasioned  more  suffering ;  suspicion  was  accepted 
as  evidence  of  guilt ;  no  proof  of  innocence  was 
allowed  or  mitigating  circumstance  considered.  Many 
acts  of  extreme  cruelty  and  outrage  have  been  re- 
corded, but  I  forbear  to  detail  these  sickening 
scenes. 

Much  of  the  odium  of  the  persecution  was  attributed 
to  Archbishop  Sharp,  who  was  believed  to  have 
insisted  on  severe  measures  of  repression.  In  1668 
the  Government  were  showing  some  leniency  to  the 
Presbyterians,  when  James  Mitchell,  a  young  man 
concerned  in  the  late  rising,  attempted  to  assassinate 
the  archbishop.  On  the  11th  of  July,  in  Edinburgh, 
the  archbishop  came  from  his  lodgings  and  stepped 
into  his  coach  with  the  Bishop  of  Orkney,  when  a 
shot  was  discharged  at  him  which  missed  him,  but 
shattered  the  Bishop  of  Orkney's  arm.  Mitchell 
crossed  the  street  and  instantly  disappeared  ;  and  he 
was  not  taken  till  six  years  afterwards.  The  Govern- 
ment raised  a  loud  clamour  about  this  attempt,  offered 
a  reward  for  the  apprehension  of  the  assassin,  and 
renewed  the  outcry  against  the  Presbyterians  and 
their  meetings. 

In  spite  of  the  severe  measures  of  the  Government 
the  field  meetings  of  the  disaffected  people  continued 
to  increase.  In  1678  a  large  army  was  posted  chiefly 
in  the  south-western  counties  ;  and  in  the  beginning 
of  the  following  year  detachments  of  troops  were 
ordered  to  march  up  and  down  the  country,  to  harass 
all  who  did  not  conform  to  Episcopacy,  and  to 
collect  the  taxes  which  many  of  the  people  would  not 
pay  till  compelled.    The  soldiers  were  commanded  to 


MURDER  OF  ARCHBISHOP  SHARP.  221 


pursue  all  who  attended  field  meetings,  to  kill  all  who 
resisted,  and  to  imprison  and  deliver  to  the  magistrates 
all  whom  they  could  apprehend.  The  existing  re- 
sources of  law  being  found  inadequate,  the  king  ap- 
pointed an  army  of  special  sheriff  deputies,  expressly 
to  try  persons  accused  of  attending  field  meetings, 
withdrawing  from  the  parish  churches,  and  irregular 
marriages  and  baptisms.  That  some  of  the  men  thus 
invested  with  special  powers  would  act  with  an 
imperious  hand  was  certain  ;  and  when  William 
Carmichael,  an  ex-bailie  of  Edinburgh,  was  raised  to 
the  dignity  of  a  special  sheriff  in  the  county  of  Fife, 
of  course  he  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  to  show 
that  he  was  worthy  of  his  post.  He  treated  the 
people  who  attended  field  meetings  in  Fife  with  great 
severity.  A  few  bold  men  determined  to  frighten 
him.  On  the  3rd  of  May,  1679,  a  party  under  Hack- 
ston  of  Rathillet  and  John  Balfour  attempted  to 
waylay  him  among  the  hills  above  Cupar,  where  they 
expected  him  to  be  hunting.  They  searched  for  him 
from  early  morning  to  past  midday  without  success. 
But  when  they  were  going  to  disperse  tidings  came 
that  the  primate  was  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  would 
pass  along  the  road  in  his  coach.  They  now  be- 
thought that  if  the  subordinate  had  escaped,  provi- 
dence had  placed  their  great  enemy  within  their 
grasp. 

The  archbishop's  coach  was  driving  along  Magus 
Moor,  about  two  miles  from  his  own  city,  and  the 
party  instantly  pursued  it.  Sharp  cried  to  the  coach- 
man to  drive  hard,  the  pursuers  fired  shots,  overtook 
the  coach,  cut  the  traces,  disarmed  and  dismounted 


222  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 


his  attendants,  and  commanded  Judas  to  come  forth, 
that  they  might  not  injure  his  daughter  who  was  in 
the  coach  screaming  with  terror.  They  dragged  him 
out,  and  he  fell  on  his  knees  and  in  piteous  tones 
implored  them  to  spare  his  life,  promising  them 
forgiveness — anything  if  they  would  show  mercy  ;  but 
they  reminded  him  that  he  had  imbrued  his  hands 
in  the  blood  of  many  innocent  people  for  a  period  of 
eighteen  years,  and  that  now  he  must  die.  A  volley 
of  shot  was  discharged  at  him  and  his  life  was  extin- 
guished with  their  swords.  After  rifling  the  coach 
and  the  bishop's  clothes,  the  assassins  remounted  and 
rode  off,  leaving  the  primate's  daughter  lamenting 
over  his  mangled  body  on  the  moor. 

There  were  a  few  persons  in  Scotland  who  approved 
of  this  foul  deed,  but  the  majority  of  the  people 
regarded  it  as  an  atrocious  murder.  Assassination 
and  murder  cannot  be  justified  under  any  cir- 
cumstances. 

A  reward  was  offered  by  the  Government  for  the 
apprehension  of  the  murderers,  but  they  fled  to  the 
west  where  they  were  joined  by  others,  and  prepared 
to  resist  the  authorities.  A  few  of  the  most  deter- 
mined agreed  to  issue  "  a  public  Testimony  against 
the  Government,"  and  arranged  to  meet  on  the  29th 
of  May,  the  anniversary  of  the  Restoration.  A  party 
of  eighty  armed  men  marched  into  the  town  of 
Rutherglen,  extinguished  the  bonfires  blazing  in 
honour  of  the  day,  burned  the  Acts  of  Parliament 
which  established  Episcopacy,  read  their  declaration, 
and  affixed  it  to  the  market  cross. 

A  great  field  meeting  was  to  be  held  at  Loudon 


GRAHAM'S  DRAGOONS  DEFEATED.  22$ 


Hill,  in  Clydedale,  on  Sunday,  the  7th  of  June,  1679  ; 
and  Graham  of  Claverhouse,  on  hearing  of  their 
design,  resolved  to  disperse  them.  The  service  of 
the  day  had  begun  when  the  watchmen  observed  a 
body  of  troopers  approaching.  Graham's  dragoons 
appeared  on  the  rising  ground.  Amongst  the  Cove- 
nanters there  were  such  fighting  men  as  Hackston. 
Balfour,  and  William  Cleland,  and  the  assemblage 
determined  on  battle.  They  advanced  to  a  swampy 
piece  of  ground  and  took  up  their  position.  Gra- 
ham attempted  to  charge,  and  after  a  sharp  and 
short  engagement  he  was  completely  defeated,  and 
twenty  of  his  troopers  were  slain.  The  event  is 
known  in  history  as  Drumclog.  Encouraged  by  this 
success  the  insurgents  marched  on  Glasgow,  but 
they  were  unable  to  take  it,  and  retired  to  Hamil- 
ton and  formed  a  camp.  Many  there  joined  them 
from  Ayrshire,  Galloway,  and  other  parts  of  the  king- 
dom ;  and  in  a  few  days  they  numbered  four  thousand 
men.  The  extreme  party  of  the  Government  had 
produced  what  they  much  desired — a  general  in- 
surrection, which  afforded  them  an  occasion  for  in- 
sisting on  the  utmost  persecution  of  the  Presby- 
terians. 

The  Duke  of  Monmouth,  the  king's  natural  son, 
was  commissioned  to  command  the  royal  army  and 
suppress  the  rebellion.  He  arrived  in  Edinburgh  on 
the  1 8th  of  June,  and  placed  himself  at  the  head  of 
the  army.  On  the  21st  he  marched  westward  and 
came  in  sight  of  the  insurgents  lying  on  Hamilton 
Moor.  The  insurgents  had  little  organisation  or 
discipline,  and  their  leaders  disagreed  and  failed  to 


224  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 


present  a  united  front.  On  the  22nd  the  royal  army 
advanced  to  the  attack,  the  insurgents  were  utterly 
defeated,  many  were  slain  in  the  flight,  and  more  than 
a  thousand  taken  prisoners.  Still,  in  the  words  of 
Hogg  :— 

"  When  rank  oppression  rends  the  heart, 
And  rules  wi'  stroke  o'  death, 
Wha  wadna  spend  their  dear  heart's  blood, 
For  the  tenets  of  their  faith." 

The  engagement  was  called  the  battle  of  Bothwell 
Bridge. 

Next  day  the  prisoners,  tied  two  and  two,  were 
driven  into  Edinburgh  and  placed  in  the  Grayfriars 
churchyard,  and  kept  in  the  open  air  for  weeks.  Two 
of  the  insurgent  ministers  were  hanged  at  the  Grass 
Market ;  and  five  of  the  prisoners  were  executed  on 
Magus  Moor  as  an  atonement  for  the  murder  of  the 
primate.  Such  of  the  prisoners  as  admitted  that  the 
rising  was  a  rebellion  and  promised  submission,  were 
liberated  ;  but  upward  of  two  hundred,  who  declined 
to  accept  these  terms,  were  crammed  into  a  ship  and 
transported  to  Barbadoes,  to  be  sold  as  slaves  in  the 
plantations.  The  Government  continued  to  persecute 
all  who  attended  field  meetings  and  absented  them- 
selves from  the  parish  churches. 

In  October,  1680,  the  Duke  of  York  arrived  in 
Scotland.  With  the  aim  of  strengthening  his  pros- 
pective claim  to  the  throne  Parliament  was  summoned 
to  meet  at  Edinburgh  in  July,  1681,  and  he  assumed 
the  post  of  royal  commissioner.  An  Act  was  passed 
touching  the  succession,  which  repeated  the  assertion 


NEW  TEST  ACT. 


225 


"  that  the  kings  of  the  realm  derived  their  royal 
power  from  God  alone,"  and  succeeded  to  it  by  lineal 
descent,  which  could  not  be  altered  without  involving 
the  nation  in  perjury  and  rebellion.  That  no  diffe- 
rence in  religion,  law,  or  Act  of  Parliament,  could 
divert  the  right  of  succession  to  the  Crown  from  the 


THE  MAIDEN. 


nearest  heir  ;  and  all  who  opposed  this  incurred  the 
penalties  of  high  treason.  A  new  Test  Act  was  passed, 
which  contained  such  a  jumble  of  inconsistencies  that 
many  declined  to  sign  it.  The  Earl  of  Argyle  pro- 
posed to  take  it  in  so  far  as  it  was  consistent,  and 


226  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 

stated  that  he  could  not  bind  himself  from  doing 
what  was  incumbent  as  a  loyal  subject.  For  this  he 
was  charged  with  high  treason,  tried,  and  convicted  ; 
but  he  escaped  from  the  castle  of  Edinburgh  and  fled 
to  Holland. 

During  the  years  of  1682,  '83,  and  '84,  the  troops 
continued  to  harass  and  persecute  the  people.  The 
soldiers  pillaged  farmhouses,  exacted  free  quarters, 
levied  enormous  fines,  and  seized  and  imprisoned  all 
who  were  refractory.  Many  of  the  Covenanters  were 
shot  down  without  trial  ;  and  the  nation  groaned 
under  the  yoke  of  dire  oppression.  Still,  in  spite  of 
the  savage  persecution,  the  remnant  of  the  Covenanters 
stood  unshaken  and  untouched  in  their  principles 
and  faith,  proclaiming  war  against  the  Government 
and  the  king.  Who  can  blame  them  ?  Whether  was 
it  best  for  the  peace  and  civilisation  of  the  island  that 
an  absolute  king  should  reign  in  undisputed  power 
over  everything,  or  that  a  measure  of  liberty  and 
freedom  of  opinion  should  be  allowed  to  the  people  ? 
This  in  some  form  had  become  the  problem  which 
then  filled  all  thoughtful  minds  in  Britain. 

The  year  1685  opened  in  Scotland  amid  the  gloom 
of  persecution.  No  one  was  safe  from  the  violence 
of  the  army  ;  many  were  shot  on  the  highways,  in  the 
fields  and  mountains,  and  at  their  own  doors.  And 
the  reign  of  Charles  II.  closed  on  the  6th  of  February 
amidst  a  scene  of  oppression,  suffering,  and  corruption, 
unmatched  in  the  worst  times  of  the  nation's  history. 

The  Duke  of  York  now  mounted  the  throne,  and 
on  the  10th  of  February,  he  was  proclaimed  as  "the 
only,  the  undoubted,  and  lawful  king  of  the  realm. M 


SEVERER  ACTS  AGAINST  THE  COVENANTERS.  22y 


James  VII.  dispensed  with  the  coronation  oath,  lest 
it  should  seem  that  he  in  any  way  derived  his  right 
and  power  from  the  people.  Parliament  assembled 
at  Edinburgh  on  the  23rd  of  April,  and  proceeded  to 
legislate  in  accordance  with  the  views  of  the  new 
king.  New  and  severer  Acts  were  passed  to  exter- 
minate the  Covenanters.  It  was  enacted  that  all 
who  attended  field  meetings  incurred  the  penalty  of 
death.  Husbands  were  made  responsible  for  the 
attendance  of  their  wives  at  church  and  liable  for 
their  fines ;  and  the  Test  Act  was  renewed  with 
additions. 

The  Earl  of  Argyle  had  entered  into  the  plans  of 
the  exiles  in  Holland,  and  in  concert  with  the  Duke 
of  Monmouth,  concocted  an  invasion  of  Britain. 
Argyle  landed  in  Scotland  in  May,  1685,  but  his 
attempt  utterly  failed.  He  was  captured  on  the  18th 
of  June,  and  carried  to  Edinburgh.  The  king  and 
the  council  determined  to  execute  him  according  to 
the  terms  of  his  former  sentence,  and  he  was  beheaded 
on  the  30th  of  June.  The  people  expressed  much 
sympathy  for  him,  and  looked  on  his  execution  as  a 
cruel  murder. 

This  unsuccessful  attempt  against  the  Government 
only  increased  the  number  of  sufferers.  The  prisons 
were  crowded  with  people  incarcerated  for  noncon- 
formity and  rebellion,  and  huddled  together  without 
distinction  of  sex  in  the  most  wretched  condition.  In 
September  upwards  of  one  hundred  of  these  prisoners 
were  shipped  for  New  Jersey.  But  on  the  passage 
fever  broke  out,  and  when  they  reached  the  New 
World  only  forty  of  them  were  alive.  Fortunately  the 


228  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 


magistrates  of  New  Jersey  declared  that  they  were 
free  men,  and  in  a  foreign  land  they  enjoyed  the 
liberty  which  had  been  ruthlessly  denied  to  them  at 
home. 

In  the  winter  of  1686,  James  VII.  advanced  his 
scheme  for  the  reintroduction  of  Roman  Catholicism. 
He  proposed  that  all  should  have  liberty  of  con- 
science, and  expatiated  on  the  blessing  which  would 
result  from  a  universal  toleration  of  religious  opinions. 
He  asked  the  Scotch  Parliament  to  give  toleration  and 
equal  rights  to  Roman  Catholics,  but  this  was  not 
granted.  James  then  issued  a  proclamation  in  the 
following  terms: — "We  by  our  sovereign  authority, 
royal  prerogative,  and  absolute  power,  which  all  our 
subjects  are  to  obey  without  reserve,  do  hereby  give 
and  grant  our  royal  toleration  to  the  several  professors 
of  the  Christian  religion,  under  the  conditions  here- 
after mentioned.  We  tolerate  the  moderate  Presby- 
terians to  meet  in  their  private  houses  Mean- 
time it  is  our  royal -pleasure  that  field  meetings  and 
such  as  preach  at  them  or  attend  them,  shall  be 
prosecuted  to  the  utmost  severity  of  the  laws  against 
them,  seeing  that  from  these  rendezvous  of  rebellion 
so  much  disorder  has  proceeded,  and  so  much  disturb- 
ance to  the  Government.  ...  In  like  manner  we 
hereby  tolerate  Quakers.  .  .  .  And,  considering  the 
severe  and  cruel  laws  made  against  the  Roman 
Catholics,  ....  we  with  advice  of  our  privy  council, 
by  our  sovereign  authority  and  absolute  power,  sus- 
pend, stop,  and  make  void,  all  laws  and  Acts  of 
Parliament,  or  constitutions,  against  Roman  Catholics, 
so  that  they  shall  in  all  things  be  as  free  as  any  of  our 


CRISIS.     PRINCE  OF  ORANGE'S  DECLARATION.  22g 

Protestant  subjects,  not  only  to  exercise  their  religion, 
but  also  to  enjoy  all  places  and  other  posts  which  we 
shall  think  fit  to  bestow  upon  them."  Amen. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  James  suspended  all  the  penal 
laws  against  nonconformity.  Many  of  the  Presby- 
terian ministers  were  released  from  prison,  and  others 
who  had  been  banished  soon  returned  home.  But  the 
real  Covenanters  quickly  recognised  the  meaning  of 
the  king's  toleration.  What  right  had  he  to  forbid  or 
to  allow  them  to  preach  the  gospel  ?  They  had  a 
warrant  from  a  higher  Master  ;  and  therefore  they 
continued  their  field  meetings,  scorning  alike  his  claim 
of  absolute  power  and  his  denunciations  against 
them.  Their  leader  and  preacher,  Renwick,  was 
seized  in  February,  1688,  and  executed  at  Edinburgh  ; 
and  his  death  terminated  the  religious  executions  in 
Scotland. 

The  crisis  had  been  long  preparing,  and  when  it 
was  seen  to  be  nigh,  great  excitement  arose  in  Scot- 
land. As  the  convictions  and  sentiment  of  the  people 
had  been  long  repressed,  the  rebound  threatened 
to  be  violent.  Although  attempts  were  made  to  sup- 
press the  Prince  of  Orange's  declaration,  which  was 
issued  in  the  middle  of  October,  1688,  its  import  soon 
became  known  in  Scotland.  All  the  forces  in  the 
kingdom  were  called  away  by  the  king  to  operate 
against  the  Dutch,  who  had  landed  in  England. 
When  the  Scotch  bishops  saw  the  dark  clouds  gather- 
ing, they  assembled  at  Edinburgh  on  the  3rd  of 
November,  and  resolved  to  despatch  a  letter  to  the 
king,  in  which  they  prayed — "  That  God  in  His 
mercy,  who  has  so  often  preserved  and  delivered  your 


230  RESTORATION.  PERSECUTION. 


Majesty,  will  still  preserve  and  deliver  you,  by  giving 
you  the  hearts  of  your  subjects,  and  the  necks  of 
your  enemies." 

Before  the  issue  of  the  military  operations  in 
England  was  decided,  disturbances  arose  in  Edin- 
burgh. The  Earl  of  Perth,  Chancellor  and  head  of 
the  privy  council,  had  been  very  servile  to  the  king, 
and  therefore  an  object  of  hatred,  but  now  his  courage 
failed  and  he  fled  to  his  country  residence.  When  it 
became  clear  that  the  king's  cause  was  falling,  excited 
crowds  gathered  on  the  streets  of  Edinburgh  and 
shouted  for  a  free  parliament.  On  Sunday,  the  9th 
of  December,  a  number  of  students,  apprentices,  and 
others,  appeared  on  the  streets,  proceeded  to  the 
market  cross,  and  proclaimed  a  reward  of  four  hundred 
pounds  sterling  to  any  one  who  should  seize  the  Earl 
of  Perth,  and  bring  him  there  dead  or  alive. 

All  kinds  of  rumours  were  rife.  A  report  spread 
that  an  army  of  Irish  Catholics  were  on  the  eve  of 
landing  in  Galloway,  and  the  people  dreaded  a 
massacre.  As  the  army  had  been  sent  into  England 
and  the  Government  had  dissolved,  there  was  a  col- 
lapse of  authority.  The  people  in  the  western 
counties  assembled  in  crowds,  and  took  the  law  into 
their  own  hands.  They  naturally  resolved  to  purge 
the  Church,  and  began  on  the  25th  of  December. 
Some  of  the  obnoxious  curates  had  saved  themselves 
by  flight,  and  those  who  remained  were  rudely  turned 
out  of  their  manses,  ordered  to  depart  and  never 
return  to  the  parishes.  Upwards  of  two  hundred  of 
the  curates  were  thus  removed. 

Some  of  the  Scotch  nobles  were  in  London  when 


ELECTIONS.     CONVENTIONS.  23I 


the  Prince  of  Orange  arrived,  and  many  others 
hastened  there  to  offer  him  their  service.  On  the 
7th  of  January,  1689,  he  requested  them  to  meet  him 
at  Whitehall.  The  meeting  was  led  by  the  Duke  of 
Hamilton,  and  numbered  upwards  of  one  hundred 
men  of  note.  The  prince  desired  them  to  delibe- 
rate and  inform  him  how  he  could  promote  the 
peace  and  interest  of  their  country.  After  debating 
three  days,  they  agreed  to  resolutions  embodied  in 
an  address  to  the  prince,  requesting  him  to  summon 
a  parliament  to  meet  at  Edinburgh  on  the  14th  of 
March,  and  to  assume  the  government  of  the  king- 
dom.   To  this  he  at  once  acceded. 

Preparations  for  the  elections  were  immediately 
commenced,  all  parties  being  anxious  to  return  mem- 
bers to  decide  the  future  position  of  the  nation.  The 
prince  assumed  the  power  to  dispense  with  a  number 
of  restrictions,  and  ordered  that  the  members  of  the 
boroughs  should  be  elected  by  a  poll  of  all  the  adult 
inhabitants.  His  supporters  secured  a  majority  of 
members  ;  while  King  James's  party  mainly  relied  on 
the  support  of  the  Duke  of  Gordon,  who  commanded 
the  castle  of  Edinburgh,  and  on  the  Viscount 
Dundee,  whose  energy  was  well  known  and  greatly 
feared. 

The  Convention  assembled  at  the  appointed  time. 
Forty-two  peers,  forty-nine  members  for  the  counties, 
fifty  for  the  boroughs,  and  nine  bishops,  constituted 
the  assemblage.  The  election  of  a  president  was  the 
first  business.  The  supporters  of  James  proposed  the 
Marquis  of  Athole  ;  the  Whigs  (William's  supporters) 
proposed  the  Duke  of  Hamilton,  and  he  was  elected 


232 


RESTORA  TION.  PERSECUTION. 


by  a  majority  of  forty.  On  the  16th  of  March  a 
letter  from  William  was  read,  which  expressed  his 
desire  that  the  Convention  should  settle  the  religion 
and  liberties  of  the  kingdom  in  accordance  with  the 
convictions  of  the  people  and  the  public  good.  The 
same  day  a  letter  from  King  James  was  read,  but  it 
was  not  calculated  to  inspire  hope  in  his  cause.  He 
offered  pardon  to  those  who  immediately  returned  to 
their  allegiance,  to  others  no  mercy  could  be  granted. 
His  adherents  in  the  Convention  were  mortified,  his 
enemies  vehement,  and  the  sitting  closed  in  a  scene  of 
excitement. 

The  citizens  of  Edinburgh  were  intensely  agitated 
as  well  as  the  members  of  the  Convention.  As  the 
Duke  of  Gordon  had  refused  to  surrender  the  castle 
of  Edinburgh,  it  was  known  that  the  Jacobites  would 
not  yield  without  a  severe  struggle,  and  at  any 
moment  they  might  attempt  some  desperate  move. 
When  the  Convention  met  on  the  18th,  tidings  were 
brought  into  the  House  that  Viscount  Dundee  was 
on  the  Stirling  road  with  a  troop  of  dragoons,  and 
that  he  was  seen  conferring  with  the  Duke  of  Gordon 
at  the  castle  gate.  This  news  threw  the  members 
into  a  state  of  violent  alarm,  and  Hamilton,  the  presi- 
dent, started  to  his  feet  and  cried  :  "  It  is  high  time 
that  we  should  look  to  ourselves.  The  enemies  of  our 
religion  and  of  our  civil  freedom  are  mustering  all 
around  us,  and  we  may  well  suspect  that  they  have 
accomplices  even  here.  Lock  the  doors  !  Lay  the 
keys  on  the  table !  Let  no  one  go  out  but  those 
lords  and  gentlemen,  whom  we  shall  appoint  to  call 
the  citizens  to  arms  !    There  are  some  good  men  from 


THRONE  DECLARED  VACANT. 


233 


the  west  in  Edinburgh,  men  for  whom  I  can  answer." 
The  majority  of  the  members  shouted  assent,  and 
what  he  proposed  was  immediately  done.  The  Earl 
of  Leven  went  out  and  ordered  the  drums  to  be  beat, 
and  the  Covenanters  promptly  answered  to  the  call 
and  mustered  in  such  force  as  overawed  all  the 
Jacobites  in  Edinburgh.  They  protected  the  Con- 
vention till  the  arrival  of  the  Scotch  regiments  under 
General  Mackay. 

The  Convention  prepared  to  settle  the  prime  point 
of  the  conflict,  As  usual  a  committee  was  appointed, 
consisting  of  eight  peers,  eight  representatives  of  the 
boroughs,  and  eight  of  the  counties.  They  pro- 
ceeded to  debate  and  frame  the  decisive  resolution, 
which  finally  assumed  the  following  form  :  "  That 
James  VII.  had  assumed  the  royal  power  and  acted 
as  king  without  ever  taking  the  oath  required  by  law; 
and  by  the  advice  of  evil  counsellors  he  had  invaded 
the  fundamental  constitution  of  the  kingdom,  and 
altered  it  from  a  limited  monarchy  to  an  arbitrary 
and  despotic  power,  and  did  exercise  the  same  to  the 
subversion  of  the  Protestant  religion,  and  the  violation 
of  the  laws  and  the  liberties  of  the  kingdom  ;  whereby 
he  forfeited  his  right  to  the  Crown,  and  his  throne  has 
become  vacant."  This  resolution  was  accompanied 
by  another,  which  tendered  the  Crown  to  William  and 
Mary  ;  and  both  were  carried,  only  three  members  and 
seven  bishops  voting  against  them.  Immediately 
after  the  new  sovereigns  were  proclaimed  at  the  cross 
of  Edinburgh. 

The  Convention  also  framed  and  adopted  a  Claim  of 
Right,  which  was  presented  with  the  resolutions  tender 


234 


RES  TOR  A  TION.     PERSEC  UT10N. 


ing  the  Crown.  It  was  intended  to  indicate  the  law 
as  it  then  stood,  and  also  to  show  what  constitutions 
and  liberties  the  late  kings  had  infringed  and  violated. 
The  chief  points  of  this  important  claim  were  these  : 
That  all  proclamations  assuming  an  absolute  power 
to  suspend  the  laws  were  illegal ;  that  the  measures 
employed  to  establish  popery,  the  imposing  of  bonds 
and  oaths,  and  the  exacting  of  money  from  the  nation 
without  the  authority  of  parliament  were  contrary  to 
law.  That  it  was  illegal  to  invest  the  officers  of  the 
army  with  judicial  powers  to  inflict  death  without 
trial,  jury,  or  record ;  to  imprison  persons  without 
expressing  the  reason  why,  or  to  delay  their  trial  ;  to 
prosecute  and  procure  the  forfeiture  of  persons  by 
straining  obsolete  statutes  ;  to  nominate  the  magis- 
trates and  common  council  of  the  boroughs  ;  to  dictate 
the  proceedings  in  courts  of  justice  ;  to  use  torture 
without  evidence  or  in  ordinary  crimes  ;  to  garrison 
private  houses,  or  to  introduce  a  hostile  army  into  the 
country  to  live  at  free  quarters  in  a  time  of  peace. 
That  prelacy  or  the  superiority  of  any  office  in  the 
church  above  presbyters  is,  and  has  been,  a  great  and 
insufferable  grievance  and  trouble  to  the  nation,  ever 
since  the  Reformation,  when  they  were  reformed  from 
popery  to  presbytery  ;  and  therefore  prelacy  ought  to 
be  abolished.  The  right  of  appeal  to  parliament,  and 
of  petition  to  the  throne,  were  reaffirmed  ;  frequent 
meetings  of  parliament  were  demanded  ;  and  all  the 
preceding  points  were  declared  to  be  undoubted  rights, 
against  which  no  proclamation  or  precedent  ought  to 
operate  to  the  injury  of  the  people. 


XVI. 


THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 

ALTHOUGH  at  the  centre  of  authority  the  Revo- 
lution had  been  accomplished,  the  difficulties  and 
problems  which  had  caused  it  were  not  solved.  The 
opposite  interests,  the  diverse  convictions  and  senti- 
ments in  religion  and  politics,  which  had  characterised 
parties  in  Scotland  since  the  Reformation,  were  not 
harmonised.  The  deposed  dynasty  had  still  many 
adherents  in  Scotland,  and  the  new  government  found 
itself  face  to  face  with  a  complicated  series  of  obstacles. 
The  Covenanters  were  dissatisfied  with  the  way  in 
which  the  Convention  had  approached  the  question  of 
Church  government  ;  the  bishops  and  Episcopal 
party  were  bitterly  offended  and  disappointed  ;  and 
the  leading  Jacobites  were  preparing  to  assail  the  new 
government  by  force  of  arms. 

King  William  had  a  difficult  task  in  nominating 
ministers  for  the  government  of  Scotland.  As  the 
leaders  of  a  revolutionary  movement  always  imagine 
that  each  of  them  is  supremely  entitled  to  an  impor- 
tant post  in  the  new  arrangement  of  affairs,  hence, 
whomsoever   the   king    might   appoint,  he  would 


236         THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 


offend  those  who  found  their  own  claims  ignored. 
Numbers  of  Scotsmen  were  eager  to  proffer  their 
advice  and  service  to  King  William ;  and  his  posi- 
tion as  King  of  Scotland  was  perplexing  inasmuch 
as  both  the  Church  and  Parliament  demanded 
reform  of  a  radical  character.  But  there  was  one 
Scotsman  whom  the  king  could  trust,  William  Car- 
stairs,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  afterwards  Principal 
of  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  He  had  suffered 
persecution  under  the  preceding  reigns,  and  his  hand 
still  bore  the  marks  of  the  thumbscrew.  William  of 
Orange  knew  him  and  implicitly  trusted  him,  and  no 
man  of  that  period  was  more  worthy  of  confidence. 
He  was  appointed  Chaplain  to  their  Majesties  for 
Scotland.  But  he  continued  to  be  much  with  the 
king,  and  advised  him  to  adopt  a  moderate  policy  in 
Scotland.  Carstairs' own  sentiments  were  liberal,  and 
the  severe  persecution  which  he  had  undergone  had 
not  in  the  least  hardened  his  nature  or  clouded  the 
judgment  of  his  remarkable  mind. 

When  the  Convention  was  turned  into  a  parliament, 
the  Duke  of  Hamilton  appeared  as  Royal  Commis- 
sioner ;  the  Earl  of  Crawford  was  nominated  Presi- 
dent of  Parliament  ;  Lord  Melville,  who  commanded 
the  confidence  of  the  Presbyterians,  was  appointed 
Secretary  of  State.  Sir  James  Montgomery  con- 
sidered himself  entitled  to  the  secretaryship,  and 
although  he  was  offered  the  office  of  Lord  Justice 
Clerk,  he  thought  it  below  his  merits,  and  returned 
from  London  to  Edinburgh  a  disappointed  man, 
full  of  feelings  of  aversion  to  the  king,  and  deter- 
mined to  concert  plans  of  opposition  to  the  Govern- 


BATTLE  OF  KILLIECRANKIE. 


237 


merit.  He  soon  gathered  around  him  a  number  of 
kindred  spirits,  the  Earl  of  Annandale,  Lord  Ross, 
and  others,  and  organised  a  formal  and  bold  opposi- 
tion, which  was  a  novel  feature  in  a  Scotch  Parlia- 
ment. 

The  Convention  reassembled  on  the  15th  of  June, 
1689,  and  was  turned  into  a  parliament.  Much  of 
the  session  was  spent  in  fruitless  efforts.  But  an  Act 
abolishing  Episcopacy  was  passed.  The  castle  of 
Edinburgh  surrendered  on  the  14th  of  June,  the  Duke 
of  Gordon  and  the  garrison  receiving  an  indemnity, 
and  marching  out  with  arms  and  baggage. 

Meanwhile  Viscount  Dundee  and  the  Jacobites  in 
the  north  were  struggling  to  the  utmost  against  the 
Government.  Since  Dundee  left  Edinburgh,  he  had 
concerted  a  rising  in  the  Highlands.  General  Mackay 
with  the  royal  army  was  making  desperate  but  un- 
availing efforts  to  crush  the  rising.  His  first  campaign 
in  the  Highlands  was  an  utter  failure.  Dundee 
resolved  to  muster  the  chiefs  and  clansmen  in  Loch- 
aber,  and  a  force  of  about  two  thousand  assembled. 
He  marched  through  Badenoch  to  Athole,  and  arrived 
at  Blair  Castle  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  of  July, 
1689,  when  he  received  tidings  that  the  royal  army 
under  Mackay  had  entered  the  Pass  of  Killiecrankie. 
Dundee  allowed  Mackay  to  advance  through  the 
Pass,  and  gave  him  battle  on  the  open  ground.  He 
marched  from  the  castle  of  Blair  along  the  Water  of 
Tilt,  and  turned  round  the  Hill  of  Lude,  and  took  up 
his  position  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  which  overlooked 
Mackay's  army.  When  Mackay  perceived  the  ap- 
proach of  Dundee's  followers,  he  prepared  for  action. 


238         THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 

His  army  consisted  of  3,500  men,  and  two  troops  of 
cavalry.  He  formed  his  men  in  one  line  three  deep. 
Near  the  centre  of  his  line  was  a  piece  of  marshy 
ground,  and  behind  it  he  placed  his  cavalry,  which 
might  be  ready  to  attack  the  enemy  in  flank,  after 
the  fire  of  the  line  was  spent.  His  line  of  battle  was 
longer  than  Dundee's,  hence,  when  the  latter  was 
advancing  to  the  attack,  some  companies  of  the 
clansmen  were  exposed  to  a  raking  flank  fire. 
The  two  armies  faced  each  other  for  several  hours, 
and  the  Highlanders  were  becoming  impatient.  At 
three  quarters  of  an  hour  before  sunset  they  were 
ordered  to  prepare  for  action,  and  Dundee  placed  him- 
self at  the  head  of  his  cavalry  and  resolved  to  charge 
in  person.  The  signal  to  charge  was  given,  and  the 
clansmen  raised  a  shout  which  re-echoed  afar  from 
the  surrounding  hills.  They  advanced  down  the  hill 
firing  their  guns,  but  the  royal  line  returned  the  fire 
briskly,  and  thinned  their  ranks.  As  they  came 
close  upon  the  hostile  line,  they  threw  down  their 
guns,  drew  their  broadswords,  and,  with  yells,  rushed 
on  the  royalists  before  these  had  time  to  fix  their 
bayonets.  The  onset  was  fierce  and  irresistible,  and 
at  once  broke  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  who  had  no 
effective  means  of  defence  against  the  strokes  of  the 
broadswords,  and  the  royal  troops  fled  down  the 
valley  in  utter  confusion.  In  a  few  minutes  the  battle 
of  Killiecrankie  was  fought  and  won.  Dundee  fell 
mortally  wounded  by  a  shot,  and  expired  in  the 
moment  of  victory ;  and  about  six  hundred  of  his 
followers  were  slain. 

In  spite  of  the  disaster,  General  Mackay  never  lost 


GENERAL  MACKAY.     CONSTERNATION.  239 

his  coolness  and  courage.  As  soon  as  he  saw  Dundee's 
mode  of  attack,  he  ordered  his  cavalry  to  charge  the 
clansmen  in  flank.  In  person  he  led  a  troop  to  charge 
their  right  flank,  and  spurred  through  the  thickest  of 
the  enemy,  but  only  one  single  horseman  followed 
their  general.  When  he  turned  round  to  observe  the 
state  of  matters,  his  army  was  out  of  sight  ;  "  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,"  he  said,  "  our  men  were  out  of 
sight,  having  gone  down  pell  mell  to  the  river,  where 
the  baggage  stood."  After  some  time,  he  found  that 
only  about  four  hundred  of  his  army  remained ;  some 
of  his  men  had  fled,  and  two  thousand  of  them  were 
slain  or  taken  prisoners.  Having  collected  the  rem- 
nants of  his  army,  he  placed  himself  at  its  head,  and 
retired  from  the  scene  of  the  battle.  His  officers 
recommended  a  retreat  through  the  Pass  of  Killie- 
crankie,  but  he  wisely  rejected  their  advice,  and  pro- 
ceeded across  the  hills  toward  Strath  Tay,  and  thence 
to  Stirling,  which  he  reached  on  the  29th  of  July. 

News  of  the  defeat  of  the  royal  army  reached 
Edinburgh  on  the  28th  of  July,  the  day  after  the  battle, 
and  caused  intense  consternation.  It  was  reported 
that  Mackay  was  killed  and  his  army  destroyed  ;  that 
Dundee  was  already  master  of  the  country  beyond 
the  Forth,  and  rapidly  advancing  to  take  possession 
of  the  capital.  A  meeting  of  the  Privy  Council  was 
immediately  held,  and  orders  issued  to  muster  all  the 
fencible  men  in  the  west,  and  to  concentrate  all  the 
troops  at  Stirling  to  defend  the  passage  of  the  Forth. 
Some  of  the  members  of  the  Council  proposed  to 
transfer  the  seat  of  government  to  Glasgow,  others 
were    for   retiring    into    England.     This  ferment 


240         THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 


continued  for  two  days,  but  on  the  third  intelligence 
was  received  of  Dundee's  death — an  event  which 
was  regarded  both  in  Edinburgh  and  London  as  a 
full  compensation  for  the  defeat  and  destruction  of  the 
royal  army.  The  fall  of  Dundee  was  a  fatal  blow  to 
the  cause  of  King  James  in  Scotland.  Cannon,  who 
succeeded  him  in  command,  mismanaged  everything ; 
the  war  languished,  and  soon  ceased. 

In  1690,  Parliament  sanctioned  the  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith,  and  re-established  the  Presby- 
terian polity.  The  re-organisation  of  the  Church  was 
entrusted  to  the  ministers  ejected  in  1662,  sixty  of 
whom  still  survived,  and  such  ministers  and  elders  as 
they  thought  fit  to  associate  with  themselves  in  the 
work.  Patronage  was  abolished,  and  the  nomination 
of  ministers  entrusted  to  the  heritors  and  elders  of 
the  parish.  The  meetings  of  the  General  Assemblies, 
Synods,  and  Presbyteries,  were  resumed,  and  the 
work  of  moral  teaching  and  education  proceeded. 

Though  open  war  against  the  Government  had 
ceased,  the  exiled  king  had  many  adherents  in  the 
north  and  among  the  Highland  chiefs.  And  there- 
fore an  attempt  wras  made  to  purchase  their  friend- 
ship. The  king  and  his  Government  avowedly 
adopted  a  scheme  of  bribery  and  corruption.  It  must 
be  told  that  if  morality  and  truth  be  the  standard  of 
estimation,  William  III.  and  his  advisers  have  little 
claim  to  be  regarded  as  examples  of  humanity. 

The  Government  engaged  the  Earl  of  Breadalbane 
to  purchase  the  submission  of  the  Highland  chiefs  and 
secure  their  allegiance  to  William  III.  A  sum  of 
twenty  thousand  pounds  was  placed  at  his  disposal. 


GOVERNMENT  AND  THE  HIGHLAND  CHIEFS.  241 

He  was  instructed  to  pay  particular  attention  to  Sir 
Donald  McDonald,  Maclean,  Clanronald,  Glengarry, 
Lochiel,  and  the  Mackenzies.  The  chiefs  were  sus- 
picious of  Breadalbane,  and  little  progress  was  made. 
A  proclamation  was  issued  in  August,  1691,  which 
commanded  all  the  Highland  chiefs  to  take  the  oath 
of  allegiance  in  the  presence  of  a  magistrate  before 
the  1st  of  January,  1692,  under  the  penalties  of  treason 
and  military  execution.  Most  of  the  chiefs  did  at  the 
last  comply  with  the  terms  of  the  proclamation. 

But  some  of  the  king's  advisers,  and  one  man  in 
particular,  were  greatly  disappointed  that  the  Highland 
chiefs  were  yielding  to  the  demands  of  the  Govern- 
ment. Sir  John  Dalrymple  of  Stair,  the  Secretary  of 
State  for  Scotland,  was  extremely  anxious  that  a 
number  of  the  chiefs  should  stand  out  and  afford  an 
excuse  for  their  complete  extermination.  There  is 
ample  evidence  that  he  became  wildly  angry  as  his 
hope  of  a  great  slaughter  of  the  Celtic  people  day  by 
day  appeared  less  probable.  His  letters  show  that  he 
was  grasping  to  the  utmost  to  attain  this  result.  In 
October,  169 1,  he  wrote— "It  must  be  a  strange  in- 
adventure  if  the  Highlanders  be  not  convinced  of  the 
king's  extraordinary  goodness  to  them,  when  he  is 
content  to  be  at  a  charge  to  accommodate  them,  and 
give  them  the  plain  prospect  of  future  peace,  security, 
and  advantage,  when  he  can  gratify  many  by  destroy- 
ing them  with  as  little  charge.  And  certainly,  if 
there  do  remain  any  obstinacy,  these  advices  will  be 
taken.  The  king,  by  his  offer  of  mercy,  has  suffi- 
ciently shown  his  good  intentions,  and  by  their  ruin  he 
will  rid  himself  of  a  suspicious  crew."    In  November, 


THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 


he  intimated  to  Breadalbane  —  "I  wrote  to  you 
formerly,  that  if  the  rest  were  willing  to  concur,  as  the 
crows  do,  to  pull  down  Glengarry's  nest  this  winter,  so 
as  the  king  be  not  hindered  to  draw  four  regiments 
from  Scotland, — in  that  case  destroying  him  and  his 
clan  .  .  .  will  be  fully  as  acceptable  as  if  he  had  come 
in.  This  answer  all  ends,  and  satisfies  those  who 
complain  of  the  king's  too  great  gentleness.''  On 
the  eve  of  the  massacre  he  wrote  to  the  commander 
of  the  forces — "  I  assure  you  your  power  shall  be  full 
enough,  and  I  hope  the  soldiers  will  not  trouble  the 
Government  with  prisoners."  Again,  "  Just  now,  my 
Lord  Argyle  tells  me  that  Glencoe  has  not  taken  the 
oaths,  at  which  I  rejoice  ;  it  is  a  great  work  of  charity 
to  be  exact  in  rooting  out  that  damnable  sept,  the 
worst  in  all  the  Highlands." 

Macdonald  of  Glencoe,  owing  to  several  untoward 
circumstances,  was  a  few  days  behind  the  prescribed 
time  for  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance  ;  but  he  did 
take  it  before  the  Sheriff  of  Argyle  at  Inverary.  And 
the  sheriff  forwarded  it  to  the  Privy  Council  in 
Edinburgh,  but  the  clerks  refused  to  take  it.  The 
upshot  was  that  the  massacre  of  the  Chief  of  Glencoe 
and  all  his  retainers  was  ordered  by  the  king,  and 
despatches  sent  to  the  commander  of  the  forces  in 
that  quarter  to  execute  it.  On  a  cold  stormy  night, 
on  the  13th  of  February,  1692,  the  chief  and  forty  of 
his  clan  were  murdered  by  the  king's  troops.  But  a 
number  of  the  intended  victims  escaped,  owing  to 
the  darkness  of  the  night  and  the  severity  of  the 
snowstorm,  and  fled  almost  naked  to  the  rocks  and 
mountains.    The  deserted  houses  of  the  doomed  clan 


MASSACRE  OF  GLENCOE. 


M3 


were  burned  down.  The  soldiers  collected  the  pro- 
perty of  their  victims,  which  consisted  of  nine  hundred 
cattle  and  two  hundred  ponies,  and  a  number  of  sheep 
and  goats,  and  drove  the  whole  to  Fort  William, 
where  they  were  divided  among  the  officers  of  the 
garrison. 

Although  the  massacre  was  deliberately  planned 
and  treacherously  executed,  it  was  not  so  complete 
as  intended,  for  the  storm  prevented  four  hundred 
of  the  troops  from  reaching  the  scene  till  after  the 
appointed  hour.  Politically  it  was  a  hideous  blunder, 
as  it  tended  to  render  the  clans  more  suspicious,  and 
roused  in  their  hearts  a  bitter  hatred  of  the  Govern- 
ment. Attempts  have  been  made  to  free  the  king  of 
the  responsibility  of  the  massacre,  though  he  not  only 
authorised  it,  but  by  his  subsequent  action  fully  con- 
doned it,  and  it  has  left  a  stain  on  his  character 
which  time  has  not  obliterated. 

The  Government  was  much  surprised  at  the  senti- 
ments of  the  people  touching  the  massacre.  Secre- 
tary Stair  was  greatly  astonished  when  he  heard 
the  expressions  in  which  he  was  characterised,  and 
his  faithful  service  to  the  king  so  bitterly  assailed  ; 
but  he  openly  declared  that  his  only  regret  was,  that 
every  soul  of  the  clan  was  not  slain  on  that  stormy 
morning. 

The  efforts  to  extend  the  elements  of  education  after 
the  Reformation  have  already  been  mentioned.  The 
Church,  the  local  authorities,  and  the  legislature,  had 
continued  in  their  endeavour  to  promote  the  work.  In 
1616,  the  Privy  Council  enacted  that  there  should  be  a 
school  in  every  parish  of  the  kingdom.    This  was  not 


ELEMENTARY  EDUCATION. 


245 


fully  carried  out ;  and  ten  years  later  they  ordered  a 
report  on  the  state  of  the  parishes  throughout  the 
kingdom,  from  which  it  appears  that  the  majority  of 
the  parishes  were  then  without  regular  schools.  In 
1633,  Parliament  ratified  the  act  of  the  council,  and 
empowered  the  bishops,  with  the  consent  of  a 
majority  of  the  parishioners,  to  impose  a  rate  on  the 
possessors  of  land,  for  establishing  and  supporting 
the  parish  schools.  In  1641,  the  subject  was  again 
before  Parliament;  and  once  more  in  1645,  when  it 
was  enacted,  "  that  there  should  be  a  school  founded, 
and  a  schoolmaster  appointed  in  every  parish,  not 
already  provided."  For  this  purpose  a  rate  was  to 
be  imposed,  and  a  scheme  of  the  modification  of  the 
tax  drawn  out  ;  but  troubles  came  fast  and  thick 
upon  the  party  then  at  the  head  of  affairs,  and  this 
Act  was  not  put  into  operation. 

In  1696,  Parliament  enacted  that  there  should  be 
a  school  and  schoolmaster  established  in  every  parish, 
not  already  provided,  "  by  the  advice  of  the  pro- 
prietors and  ministers  of  the  parish."  This  Act  is 
definite  and  clearly  drawn.  It  made  provisions  for 
imposing  a  rate  on  the  owners  of  land  to  erect  and 
maintain  school  buildings,  and  pay  the  schoolmasters' 
salaries.  From  this  date  the  parish  system  of 
primary  schools  became  established,  and  continued 
without  interruption,  excepting  in  some  parts  of  the 
Highlands,  where  the  parishes  were  so  large  as  to 
render  the  Act  inoperative  ;  but  ultimately  other  means 
of  providing  elementary  education  in  those  remote 
parts  of  the  kingdom  were  adopted. 

Throughout   this   period   there  were  elementary 


24<5        THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 


schools  in  many  of  the  towns,  distinct  from  the 
grammar  schools.  But  it  should  be  observed  that  the 
grammar  schools,  from  an  early  period  enjoyed  a 
monopoly  of  teaching  certain  branches,  being  pro- 
tected more  or  less  strictly  until  recent  times. 
Education,  like  trade  and  everything  else,  was  subject 
to  the  spirit  and  influence  of  the  age. 

After  the  Revolution  the  spirit  of  the  nation  began 
to  incline  more  to  industry,  to  the  erection  of  manu- 
factories, to  trade,  and  to  commerce.  Dreams  of  vast 
wealth  rose  before  the  national  imagination,  and 
captivated  it ;  and  a  man  appeared  with  dazzling 
schemes  to  meet  the  cravings  of  the  people.  William 
Paterson's  mind  overflowed  with  grand  commercial 
projects.  As  a  part  of  the  Isthmus  of  Darien  was 
unoccupied  by  the  Spaniards,  he  formed  the  idea  of 
founding  on  it  a  central  emporium  for  the  mer- 
chandise of  the  world.  He  thought  that  a  link  could 
be  formed  there  to  connect  the  trade  of  Europe  and 
Asia,  so  that  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans  might 
be  ploughed  by  ships  from  every  quarter  of  the  globe, 
directing  their  prows  to  this  narrow  neck  of  land, 
and  thus  enriching  the  Scots  who  would  hold  the  keys 
of  the  commercial  world  in  their  hands.  The  scheme 
assumed  form  in  an  Act  of  Parliament  passed  in  1695, 
which  authorised  the  establishment  of  a  trading 
company  to  America,  Africa,  and  the  Indies. 

The  company  proposed  a  subscribed  capital  of 
^600,000.  When  the  books  were  opened  in  London, 
the  ^"300,000  offered  to  the  English  merchants  was 
quickly  subscribed.  But  the  enterprise  aroused 
the  jealousy  of  the  privileged  English  companies. 


DARIEN  ENTERPRISE. 


247 


The  House  of  Commons  presented  an  address  to  the 
king  against  it,  and  seized  the  books  and  documents 
of  the  company.  They  concluded  that  the  directors 
of  the  company  were  guilty  of  a  high  crime  for 
attempting  such  a  thing,  and  proposed  to  impeach 
them.  These  hostile  proceedings  alarmed  the  London 
subscribers,  and  they  slipped  out  of  the  company  by 
failing  to  pay  the  calls  on  their  shares.  This  action 
of  the  English  Government  rather  irritated  than  dis- 
couraged the  Scots,  and  they  pushed  on  their  enter- 
prise. Four  weeks  after  the  denunciations  of  the 
English  Parliament,  the  subscription  books  were 
opened  in  Edinburgh,  and  on  the  first  day  ^50,000 
was  subscribed,  and  within  five  months  ^400,000  was 
promised  in  Scotland. 

The  company  proceeded  with  remarkable  energy. 
They  purchased  six  vessels  from  the  Dutch  and 
equipped  them.  On  the  26th  of  July,  1698,  three  of 
their  ships  with  twelve  hundred  men  on  board,  sailed 
from  Leith  ;  and  on  the  4th  of  November,  they  landed 
at  a  point  on  the  Gulf  of  Darien.  They  built  a  fort  to 
command  the  gulf,  and  marked  two  sites  for  towns, 
which  they  proposed  to  name  New  Edinburgh  and 
New  St.  Andrews.  They  purchased  the  land  which 
they  occupied,  from  the  natives,  and  sent  friendly 
messages  to  all  the  Spanish  Governors  within  their 
reach.  They  proclaimed  freedom  of  trade  and  tolera- 
tion of  religion  to  all  nations. 

But  their  privations  soon  began,  and  the  causes  of 
the  failure  of  the  undertaking  are  easily  understood. 
There  was  a  lack  of  experience  and  trading  skilf 
among  them  ;  they  had  no  definite  political  organi- 


248         THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 

sation  ;  and  there  was  no  adequate  provision  made  for 
sending  instructions  and  assistance  to  them  from 
home  —  a  lamentable  want  of  foresight.  From 
their  arrival  till  June  of  the  following  year,  they 
received  no  communication  from  Scotland.  There 
was  no  market  for  the  merchandise  which  they  had 
taken  with  them.  By  and  by,  they  began  to  feel  the 
sad  pressure  of  want,  and  the  continued  effects  of  in- 
sufficient food  and  pestilence  rapidly  reduced  their 
numbers.  The  disheartening  task  of  burying  their 
dead  soon  arrested  their  energy  ;  and  when  spring 
came,  nothing  but  certain  death  awaited  them,  if  they 
remained.  Accordingly  they  resolved  to  leave  the 
settlement,  and  within  eight  months  from  the  time 
they  landed,  they  evacuated  it.  They  placed  them- 
selves in  the  ships,  which,  owing  to  the  number  of  the 
sick,  were  imperfectly  manned.  They  sailed  in  June, 
1699,  and  two  of  their  ships  arrived  at  New  York  in 
August,  but  those  alive  were  almost  exhausted,  and 
few  of  them  survived. 

At  the  time  when  the  colonists  were  leaving  the 
settlement,  the  company  was  fitting  out  other  expedi- 
tions. Two  ships  sailed  in  May,  with  provisions,  and 
stores  ;  and  in  September,  another  expedition  followed, 
consisting  of  1,300  men.  On  arriving  they  found  the 
fort  and  huts  destroyed,  and  the  chief  indication  of 
their  countrymen  was  their  numerous  graves.  Shortly 
after  landing,  they  discovered  that  the  Spaniards 
were  preparing  to  attack  them.  After  one  successful 
military  effort,  in  which  a  small  body  of  the  Scots 
attacked  and  defeated  a  portion  of  the  Spanish  army, 
they  were  besieged  by  sea  and  land.    In  March,  1700, 


DARIEN  COLONY. 


249 


they  surrendered  to  the  Spaniards.  Few  of  them 
ever  returned  to  their  native  land. 

When  definite  tidings  of  the  final  evacuation  of  the 
Darien  settlement  arrived,  the  nation  rose  to  a  height 
of  frenzy  rarely  manifested.  The  Jacobites  were 
wroth,  and  exerted  themselves  to  the  utmost  to  fan 
the  flame  of  the  national  indignation,  as  a  weapon  of 
opposition  to  the  king  and  the  Government.  The 
national  pride  of  the  Scots  was  deeply  wounded  ;  and 
they  strongly  asserted  that  the  failure  of  the  colony 
was  caused  by  the  action  of  the  king  and  the  English 
Government. 

Addresses  were  sent  to  the  king,  but  he  declined 
to  receive  them,  and  the  indignation  continued.  The 
Scotch  Parliament  was  soon  overwhelmed  with 
addresses  and  petitions  from  all  ranks,  and  every 
quarter  of  the  kingdom.  The  majority  of  the  House 
warmly  supported  the  petitions,  and  moved  resolu- 
tions, which  condemned  the  interference  of  the 
English  Government  in  the  Darien  colony.  After 
long  and  vehement  debates,  the  final  address  to  the 
king  was  carried  by  one  hundred  votes  to  sixty,  on 
the  17th  of  January,  1701.  It  is  a  well-drawn  and 
able  paper — a  complete  vindication  of  the  company, 
containing  four  resolutions:  1.  Condemning  the 
proceedings  of  the  English  Parliament  with  regard 
to  the  company,  as  an  undue  interference  in  the 
affairs  of  Scotland,  "and  an  invasion  upon  the  sove- 
reignty and  independence  of  our  king  and  Parlia- 
ment." 2.  Declaring  that  the  action  of  the  English 
Envoy  at  Luxemburg  was  injurious  to  the  interest  of 
the  company,  "contrary  to  the  law  of  nations  and  an 


250         THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 


open  encroachment  upon  the  sovereignty  and  in- 
dependence of  this  Crown  and  kingdom."  3.  Con- 
demning the  action  and  the  proclamations  of  the 
English  Colonies  against  the  Darien  colony.  4. 
Declaring  that  although  the  settlement  of  Darien 
was  formed  in  conformity  with  the  company's  Act 
of  Parliament,  the  Spaniards  had  treated  the  colo- 
nists as  enemies  and  pirates;  and  "that  our  Indian 
and  African  Company's  Colony  of  Caledonia  in 
Darien,  in  the  Continent  of  America,  was,  and  is, 
legal  and  rightful.,, 

The  relations  between  the  two  kingdoms  became 
strained  to  the  utmost.  And  the  king  saw  that  the 
only  way  of  maintaining  peace  in  Scotland  was  a 
union  of  the  two  nations.  On  the  28th  of  February, 
1701,  he  reminded  the  English  Parliament  of  his 
proposal  touching  the  union  of  England  and  Scotland. 
But  he  died  on  the  8th  of  March,  1702. 

Queen  Anne's  accession  was  hailed  with  applause 
in  Scotland.  The  Revolution  Parliament  re-assembled 
at  Edinburgh  on  the  19th  of  June,  1702.  It  passed 
resolutions  touching  Darien,  and  appointed  com- 
missioners to  treat  of  a  Union  between  the  two 
kingdoms.  The  English  Parliament  authorised 
commissioners  to  treat  of  the  Union.  The  com- 
missioners of  both  nations  met  on  the  10th  of 
November,  and  held  many  meetings  ;  but  they  could 
not  agree  on  the  trading  privileges,  the  English  being 
extremely  loth  to  concede  equal  trading  rights  to  the 
Scots. 

In  the  spring  of  1703,  Scotland  was  agitated  by 
the  elections  for  the  New  Parliament  summoned  by 


PARLIAMENT.     ACT  OF  SECURITY.         25 1 

the  Queen.  The  Jacobites  struggled  to  the  utmost, 
and  succeeded  in  returning  a  considerable  number  of 
their  party.  The  new  House  met  on  the  10th  of 
May,  the  Duke  of  Queensberry  appeared  as  royal 
commissioner,  and  the  business  of  this  memorable 
parliament  began.  All  the  laws  in  favour  of  Pres- 
byterianism  were  ratified  ;  it  was  declared  to  be 
treason  to  speak  against  the  "  Claim  of  Right ; "  and 
the  Earl  of  Strathmore  proposed  an  Act  of  tolera- 
tion. One  Act  affirmed  that  the  sovereign  had  no 
right  to  make  war  without  the  consent  of  the  Scotch 
Parliament  ;  and  another  removed  the  restrictions 
upon  the  importation  of  French  wines.  Some  pro- 
posals of  a  republican  character  were  mooted,  and 
Fletcher  proposed  to  take  the  patronage  of  offices 
from  the  Crown  and  place  it  in  the  hands  of 
Parliament. 

On  the  Act  for  the  security  of  the  kingdom  there 
was  a  long  and  warm  debate,  but  it  was  carried.  It 
enacted  that  on  the  demise  of  the  queen  without 
issue,  the  Scotch  Parliament  would  appoint  a  successor 
from  the  Protestant  descendants  of  the  royal  line 
of  Scotland  ;  but  the  recognised  successor  to  the 
throne  of  England  was  directly  excluded,  unless  such 
conditions  of  government  were  settled  as  would  secure 
the  honour  and  sovereignty  of  the  kingdom,  and  free 
religion  and  the  trade  of  the  nation  from  English 
influence.  The  coronation  oath  was  not  to  be 
administered  without  instructions  from  Parliament 
under  the  penalty  of  treason.  Another  clause  com- 
manded that  the  nation  should  be  placed  in  a  state  of 
defence,  and  all  the  able-bodied  men  immediately 


252 


THE  REVOLUTION  AXD  THE  UNION. 


mustered  under  their  usual  leaders.  The  royal  assent 
was  refused  to  this  Act,  and  a  storm  of  denunciation 
was  thus  raised  against  the  English.  Some  of  the 
members  now  talked  of  rather  dying  like  freemen 
than  living  as  slaves  ;  and  when  attempts  were  made 
to  stem  their  passions,  they  retorted  that  if  denied 
the  freedom  of  expressing  their  opinions  in  Parliament, 
they  would  proclaim  them  with  their  swords. 

This  fierce  antagonism  between  the  two  kingdoms 
could  not  endure,  and  in  spite  of  all  obstacles  the 
Union  was  approaching.  Parliament  re-assembled  on 
the  6th  of  July,  1704,  the  Marquis  of  Tweeddale  took 
his  seat  as  royal  commissioner,  and  the  queen's 
letter  touched  on  the  gravity  of  the  situation.  She 
appealed  to  Parliament  to  settle  the  succession  ;  but 
they  directly  resolved  not  to  name  a  successor  to 
the  Crown  till  a  satisfactory  treaty  with  England  for 
the  regulation  of  trade  was  concluded,  and  adopted 
measures  to  secure  the  independence  of  the  kingdom. 
The  Act  of  security  was  again  passed  and  received  the 
royal  assent.  Under  it  the  Scots  began  to  arm  and 
once  more  prepared  to  give  battle  to  their  enemy, 
if  he  finally  refused  to  accede  to  reasonable  demands. 

The  English  Parliament  met  in  1705,  and  autho- 
rised a  Treaty  of  Union  to  be  negotiated  between 
England  and  Scotland.  The  Crown  was  empowered 
to  appoint  commissioners  ;  to  meet  and  treat  with  any 
body  of  commissioners  authorised  by  the  Scotch 
Parliament  ;  and  to  place  the  result  of  their  pro- 
ceedings before  the  queen  and  the  parliaments  of 
both  kingdoms. 

On    the   28th   of  June,  the    Scotch  Parliament 


TREATY  OF  UNION. 


253 


assembled  at  Edinburgh,  and  the  proposal  of  the 
English  Government  for  a  Union  was  the  chief 
matter  before  it.  There  was  a  change  in  the  ministry, 
and  the  Duke  of  Argyle  appeared  as  royal  com- 
missioner. He  was  considered  the  most  likely  man 
to  promote  the  important  measure  which  had  become 
necessary  for  the  peace  and  civilisation  of  the  island. 
The  measure  was  surrounded  with  many  difficulties  ; 
for  the  Jacobites  were  a  strong  party  and  determined 
to  oppose  the  Union  at  every  step,  and  if  possible  to 
defeat  all  attempts  to  settle  the  succession  on  the 
Revolution  principles.  The  majority  of  Parliament 
resolved  to  hold  to  the  demands  for  free  trade 
and  equal  colonial  rights  ;  but  some  of  the  leading 
men  among  them  were  bitterly  opposed  to  the  in- 
corporating provisions  of  the  treaty. 

A  draft  of  the  Act  and  commission  for  the  treaty 
with  England  was  read  in  Parliament  on  the  13th  of 
July  ;  and  it  was  again  brought  before  the  House  on 
the  25th  of  August.  A  long  and  hot  debate  ensued, 
and  several  amendments  were  proposed.  But  the 
Act  was  carried  on  the  1st  of  September,  authorising 
the  appointment  of  commissioners,  the  Duke  of 
Athole  with  a  number  of  followers  protesting.  The 
same  day  the  question  of  the  nomination  of  the 
commissioners  was  brought  up — Were  they  to  be 
appointed  by  Parliament  or  by  the  queen  ?  The 
Duke  of  Hamilton  moved  that  the  nomination  should 
be  left  to  the  queen  ;  Fletcher  of  Saltoun  bitterly 
opposed  this,  and  the  Jacobites  supported  him  with 
all  their  might.  After  a  warm  debate  Hamilton's 
motion  was  carried  by  a  majority  of  forty,  Athole 


254         THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 

again  protesting,  and  the  Jacobites  adhering  to  him. 
The  Jacobites  were  greatly  enraged  at  this  vote,  and 
Lockhart,  one  of  their  most  accomplished  leaders, 
expressed  his  opinion  of  it  in  these  words  : — 

"  From  this  day  we  date  the  commencement 
of  Scotland's  ruin ;  and  any  person  who  will  be 
at  the  trouble  to  reflect  upon  the  management  of 
this  affair  must  be  the  more  enraged  when  he  sees 
how  easily  it  might  have  been,  and  yet  was  not, 
prevented.  For  if  the  first  restricting  clause  (which 
was  lost  by  the  unaccountable  neglect  of  some 
members)  had  been  carried,  we  should  not  have  had 
one  word  more  of  the  treaty ;  or  had  the  nomination 
been  left  to  the  Parliament,  those  of  the  commissioners 
that  represented  the  barons  would  have  been  so  well 
chosen,  that  they  might  easily  have  obstructed  the 
treaty  from  being  brought  to  such  a  conclusion  as 
afterwards  happened.,, 

It  must  be  said,  that  on  the  Scotch  side  the 
queen  or  her  advisers  exercised  a  rare  discretion  in 
naming  the  list  of  commissioners.  A  well-considered 
effort  was  made  to  represent  the  different  parties  of 
the  nation.  Even  the  Jacobites  were  represented  by 
one  of  their  ablest  men,  Sir  George  Lockhart  of 
Carnwath  ;  though,  by  the  desire  of  his  party,  he 
sat  a  silent  member  of  the  commission,  and  neither 
assented  to  anything  nor  made  any  protest. 

The  Union  Commissioners,  who  were  thirty-one 
on  each  side,  met  at  Whitehall  on  the  16th  of 
April,  1706.  There  had  before  been  many  attempts 
to  form  a  Union  of  the  two  kingdoms,  but  this 
time  the  commissioners  were  in  earnest  and  pre- 


TREATY  OF  UNION. 


255 


pared  to  make  every  reasonable  concession  for  the 
mutual  advantage  of  both  nations.  They  proceeded 
methodically,  and  approached  the  subject  before  them 
step  by  step,  from  both  sides  by  turns  in  regular 
order,  and  finished  their  arduous  undertaking  in  three 
months.  According  to  the  terms  of  the  commission 
a  copy  of  the  treaty  was  presented  to  the  queen,  and 
her  Majesty  said  : — 

"  My  lords,  I  give  you  thanks  for  the  great 
pains  you  have  taken  in  this  treaty,  and  am  very 
well  pleased  to  find  that  your  endeavours  have 
brought  it  to  so  good  a  conclusion.  The  particulars 
of  it  seem  so  reasonable,  that  I  hope  they  will  meet 
with  approbation  in  the  Parliaments  of  both  kingdoms. 
I  wish,  therefore,  that  my  servants  of  Scotland  may 
lose  no  time  in  going  down  to  propose  it  to  my 
subjects  of  that  kingdom  ;  and  I  shall  always  look 
upon  it  as  a  particular  happiness,  if  this  Union,  which 
will  be  so  great  a  security  and  advantage  to  both 
kingdoms,  can  be  accomplished  in  my  reign. " 

The  Scotch  Parliament  was  therefore  assembled  on 
the  3rd  of  October,  1706.  The  Earl  of  Queensberry 
was  appointed  royal  commissioner,  and  the  Earl  of 
Mar  Secretary  of  State.  Mar  was  well  informed  as 
to  the  designs  of  the  Jacobites.  At  the  first  sitting 
the  treaty  was  read  and  ordered  to  be  printed,  and 
circulated  among  the  members.  The  minutes  of 
the  Union  commissioners  were  also  ordered  to  be 
printed. 

A  great  and  sustained  effort  was  made  in  many 
parts  of  the  kingdom  to  arouse  popular  feeling  against 
the  Union.    Many  pamphlets,  papers,  and  ballads, 


256         THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 

were  published  and  circulated  throughout  the  country, 
which  appealed  to  every  prejudice  and  passion  that 
was  likely  to  rouse  the  wrath  of  the  populace. 
Those  who  were  proud  of  their  ancestors  and  of 
national  glory,  were  emphatically  told  that  the 
ancient  renown  and  independence  of  the  kingdom 
were  to  be  extinguished  for  ever.  Many  generations 
of  Scotsmen  had  fought  and  struggled  for  their  rights 
and  liberties,  endured  hardship,  persecution,  and 
every  form  of  privation  ;  but  now  the  degenerate 
sons  of  such  a  brave  and  noble  race  were  about  to 
barter  away  their  glorious  inheritance. 

Though  the  outside  pressure  against  the  Union  was 
strong  and  bitter,  the  Government  was  prepared  to 
meet  it.  The  Church  threw  her  influence  on  the  side 
of  the  Government.  Still  it  seemed  that  the  mass  of 
popular  feeling  was  with  the  opposition,  and  Parlia- 
ment proceeded  with  its  arduous  work  amid  threaten- 
ing circumstances. 

On  the  1 2th  of  October,  the  articles  of  the  treaty 
were  read  one  by  one,  and  then  discussed  at  the 
sittings  from  the  12th  to  the  30th  of  the  month, 
suggestions  being  made  from  time  to  time,  but 
no  divisions  taken.  The  first  real  effort  of  the 
opposition  was  made  on  the  4th  of  November, 
when  it  was  moved  that  a  vote  should  be  taken 
on  the  first  article  of  the  Treaty  of  Union.  A 
long  debate  ensued.  The  Duke  of  Hamilton 
delivered  an  animated  speech  on  Scotch  nation- 
ality. Seton  of  Pitmedden  spoke  in  favour  of  the 
Union  in  a  calm  and  well-reasoned  address.  But 
the  great  speech  of  the  night  was  Lord  Belhaven's. 


LORD  BELHAVEN. 
(Painter  unknown?) 


258         THE  REVOLUTION  AND  THE  UNION. 


It  was  a  torrent  of  fierce  rhetoric  delivered  with 
vehemence  against  the  Union.  It  produced  little 
impression  on  the  members,  but  it  was  intended  more 
for  the  outside  public  than  for  them,  and  was  widely 
circulated.    A  sentence  or  two  may  be  quoted  : — 

"  I  seethe  English  constitution  remaining  firm  ;  the 
same  Houses  of  Parliament  ;  the  same  taxes,  customs, 
and  excise  ;  the  same  trading  companies,  laws,  and 
judicatures  ;  whilst  ours  are  either  subjected  to  new 
regulations,  or  are  annihilated  for  ever.  And  for 
what  ?  that  we  may  be  admitted  to  the  honour  of 
paying  their  old  arrears,  and  presenting  a  few  witnesses 
to  attest  the  new  debts,  which  they  may  be  pleased  to 
contract.  Good  God  !  is  this  an  entire  surrender  ? 
My  heart  bursts  with  indignation  and  grief,  at  the 
triumph  which  the  English  will  obtain  to-day,  over  a 
fierce  and  warlike  nation  that  has  struggled  to  main- 
tain its  independence  so  long  !  " 

An  amendment  was  proposed  which  affirmed 
that  the  nation  was  averse  to  an  incorporating 
union,  that  if  it  was  accepted  in  its  present  form, 
instead  of  securing  peace  it  would  cause  dismal 
distractions  and  confusion  between  the  two  nations 
and  that  therefore  it  would  be  best  to  retain  the 
sovereignty  and  independence  of  the  monarchy,  the 
fundamental  constitution  of  the  government  as  estab- 
lished by  the  Claim  of  Right,  and  the  laws  of  the 
kingdom.  After  the  amendment  was  debated,  the 
motion  put  to  the  House  was — "  Approve  of  the  first 
article  of  the  Union,  yes  or  no."  Before  the  vote  was 
taken,  the  Duke  of  Athole  protested  for  himself  and 
his  adherents,  that  an  incorporating  union  as  proposed 


OPPOSITION  TO  THE  UNION.  2$g 


in  this  treaty,  "is  contrary  to  the  honour,  the  interest, 
the  fundamental  laws,  and  the  constitution  of  this 
kingdom  ;  the  birthright  of  the  peers,  the  rights  of  the 
barons,  and  the  boroughs,  and  the  property  and  the 
liberty  of  the  subjects."  The  first  article  was  carried 
by  a  majority  of  thirty-one. 

From  this  date  to  the  end  of  December,  at  almost 
every  sitting  addresses  and  petitions  were  presented 
and  read  against  the  Union.  But  the  treaty  was  pressed 
forward,  and  on  the  last  day  of  November  they  had 
reached  the  eighth  article,  and  remitted  it  with  some 
of  the  preceding  ones  to  a  committee.  Amendments 
and  additions  were  made  to  some  of  the  articles.  And 
an  act  was  inserted  in  it  definitely  stating  that  the 
Presbyterian  Church  should  continue  unalterable  in 
her  worship,  doctrine,  and  government,  "  to  the  people 
of  this  land  in  all  succeeding  generations." 

The  parts  of  the  treaty  relating  to  commerce  were 
generally  satisfactory  to  the  Scots,  and  adopted  with 
slight  modifications.  The  nineteenth  article  of  the 
Union  sanctioned  the  retention  of  the  judicial  organi- 
sation of  Scotland.  The  weakest  article  of  the  treaty 
was  the  twentieth,  which  reserved  all  the  heritable 
offices  and  the  hereditary  jurisdictions  "to  the  owners 
thereof  as  rights  of  property." 

The  Jacobites  determined  to  make  their  last  grand 
effort  to  defeat  the  Union  on  the  twenty-second 
article,  which  apportioned  the  share  of  representation 
from  Scotland  in  the  Imperial  Parliament.  It  was 
read  on  the  7th  of  January,  1707,  and  the  debate 
continued  through  four  sittings.  It  was  most  vehe- 
mently discussed  point  by  point,  and  six  protests 


2&0         THE  REVOLUTION  AND   THE  UNION. 


were  entered  against  the  first  paragraph,  which  were 
followed  by  more  menacing  counter- protests  as  each 
part  of  the  article  was  carried.  But  the  Duke  of 
Hamilton  misled  the  Jacobites  and  disconcerted 
them  ;  and  their  rage  and  noisy  proceedings  were 
unavailing,  for  the  article  was  carried.  The  remaining 
articles  were  passed  on  the  14th  of  January  ;  and  on 
the  1 6th  an  Act  was  passed  which  ratified  the  Treaty 
of  Union  by  a  majority  of  forty-one. 

The  Union  limited  the  representation  of  Scotland 
to  forty-five  members  in  the  House  of  Commons  of 
the  United  Kingdom,  and  to  sixteen  peers  in  the 
House  of  Lords.  Of  the  forty-five  Scotch  members 
thirty  were  given  to  the  counties,  and  fifteen  to  the 
boroughs.  Some  other  matters  were  arranged,  and 
an  Act  was  passed  for  the  preservation  of  game.  On 
the  25th  of  March,  the  royal  commissioner  addressed 
a  few  sentences  to  the  members,  and  Parliament 
separated  and  met  no  more. 

The  treaty  was  placed  before  the  English  Parlia- 
ment, and  passed  through  both  Houses  without 
much  opposition.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1707,  it 
received  the  royal  assent,  and  thenceforth  became  a 
part  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  Kingdom. 


XVII. 


RISINGS  OF  171 5  AND  1745. 

A  CHANGE  so  vast  as  the  Union  could  not  be 
effected  without  rousing  bitter  passions  in  the  hearts 
of  many,  which  nothing  but  time  could  appease. 
The  Jacobite  party  strove  to  enflame  the  discontent 
of  the  people,  and  to  frustrate  the  Whigs.  In  Scot- 
land they  were  strong  and  commanded  considerable 
influence  ;  and  their  plots  to  restore  the  exiled  House 
of  Stuart  were  incessant.  At  the  same  time  many 
other  occasions  of  irritation  naturally  arose  from 
commercial  disputes,  and  in  connection  with  the  new 
revenue  system.  The  English  introduced  their  own 
modes  of  collecting. duties  and  customs,  and  what  was 
more  offensive,  the  taxes  were  greatly  increased. 

In  the  later  years  of  Queen  Anne's  reign,  the 
Jacobites  had  gained  ground.  She  died  in  August, 
17 14.  The  Elector  of  Hanover  then  ascended  the 
throne  under  the  title  of  George  I.  Although  the 
Jacobites  were  not  quite  prepared  to  take  the  field, 
they  expected  external  aid.  The  Earl  of  Mar  acted 
against  the  Jacobites  in  the  Union  proceedings  ;  but 
he  was  a  shifty  politician,  and  was  Secretary  of  State 


mar's  rising. 


263 


In  Bolingbroke's  Government.  When  in  this  office  he 
was  entrusted  with  the  distribution  of  sums  of  money 
among  the  Highland  clans,  which  gave  him  some 
influence  over  the  chiefs.  If  Mar  had  obtained  a  post 
in  the  new  Government  under  George  I.  as  he 
anxiously  desired,  he  would  not  have  headed  a  rising 
of  the  Jacobites  ;  but  on  finding  himself  neglected,  he 
determined  to  be  revenged. 

Rumours  of  a  rising  were  heard  in  May,  1715.  In 
August,  Mar  assembled  his  friends  and  followers  at 
Braemar  Castle,  and  announced  to  them  his  scheme. 
He  was  joined  by  the  Marquis  of  Huntly,  the 
Marquis  of  Tullibardie,  the  Earls  of  Marischal, 
Seaforth,  Southesk,  Stormont,  Nithsdale,  and  a 
number  of  the  Highland  chiefs.  As  the  rising  spread 
some  of  the  nobles  in  the  north  of  England  joined  it. 

Mar  unfurled  the  standard  of  revolt  on  the  6th  of 
September,  near  Braemar  Castle,  marched  by  Dun- 
keld,  and  entered  Perth  on  the  28th  with  5,000  men. 
In  November  there  were  14,000  men  in  arms  for  the 
Stuart  cause.  But  Mar  had  no  military  skill,  and 
remained  too  long  inactive  in  Perth.  Before  the 
arrival  of  James  VIII.,  the  Pretender,  at  Peterhead 
on  the  22nd  of  December,  the  army  had  melted  away 
to  a  few  thousands.  James,  who  suffered  from  attacks 
of  ague  in  his  progress  southward,  reached  Perth  on 
the  6th  of  January,  1716;  but  his  presence  inspired 
no  new  hope.  He  had  not  the"  mien  of  a  man  likely 
to  lead  an  army  to  victory  and  to  glory.  Preparations 
were  made  for  his  coronation  at  Scone  on  the  23rd 
of  January  ;  but  when  that  day  came,  the  royal  army 
under  Argyle  had  begun  their  march  on  Perth,  and 
James  was  seriously  thinking  of  flight. 


264 


RISINGS  OF  1715  AND  1745. 


The  hapless  prince  and  the  army  commenced 
their  retreat  on  the  30th  of  January,  and  marched  by 
Dundee  to  Montrose,  where  on  the  4th  of  February, 
James  and  the  Earl  of  Mar  went  aboard  a  French 
vessel  and  sailed  for  France.  The  insurgent  army 
was  fast  diminishing  as  it  proceeded  northward,  and 
on  reaching  Aberdeen,  it  disbanded  on  the  7th  of 
February.  Thus  ended  a  project  begun  without 
requisite  preparation,  conducted  without  energy  or 
skill,  and  leading  to  nothing  but  suffering  and  ruin  to 
a  portion  of  the  people. 

Lenient  counsel  toward  the  insurgents  prevailed  in 
Scotland,  and  few  of  them  were  judicially  punished. 
But  the  English  Government  took  the  punishment  of 
the  prisoners  and  those  implicated  in  the  rising  into 
their  own  hands.  A  large  number  of  all  ranks  of 
men  were  executed  ;  and  hundreds  were  sent  to  the 
plantations  to  drag  out  a  wretched  life  in  slavery. 
The  estates  of  upwards  of  forty  families  in  Scotland 
were  forfeited. 

Shortly  after  the  suppression  of  the  rising,  the 
Government  adopted  measures  to  secure  the  peace 
of  the  Highlands.  Acts  were  passed  for  disarming 
the  Celtic  people.  General  Wade  planned  and  con- 
structed a  system  of  military  roads.  But  the  action 
of  the  imperial  Government  often  irritated  the  Scots  ; 
and  the  Jacobites  still  longed  for  the  return  of  the 
banished  dynasty. 

The  clan  organisation,  with  a  few  feudal  elements 
superposed  upon  it,  continued  in  the  Highlands  till 
after  the  rising  of  1745.  Even  the  Lowland  nobles 
retained    their    hereditary  jurisdictions   over  their 


PRINCE  CHARLES  RAISED  HIS  STANDARD.  265 

vassals.  So  among  the  causes  of  the  rising  under 
Prince  Charles,  may  be  enumerated  the  local  power 
of  the  Highland  chiefs  and  the  nobles  over  many  of 
the  people.  There  were  also  the  prejudices  still 
existing  against  the  Union,  and  an  undercurrent  of 
disaffection  to  England,  kept  alive  by  the  memories 
of  centuries  of  war  and  oppression.  Besides  a  kind 
of  half-romantic  and  indescribable  feeling  leaning 
toward  the  ancient  line  of  kings,  undoubtedly 
existed  and  still  exists  in  the  nation.  Among  minor 
causes  we  must  count  the  culpable  neglect  of  the 
Government, which  allowed  the  prince  and  his  followers 
to  appear  for  a  time  in  a  career  of  success. 

When  Prince  Charles  Stuart  landed  in  the 
Western  Isles  on  the  23rd  of  June,  174S,  his  pros- 
pects of  success  were  dreary.  It  was  some  time 
before  he  found  one  single  man  to  give  him  the  least 
spark  of  hope.  The  Highlanders  whom  he  first  met 
told  him  and  insisted  that  a  rising  was  utterly  impos- 
sible. But  the  young  prince  was  naturally  full  of 
hope  and  faith  in  his  destiny,  and  determined  to 
recover  the  throne  of  his  ancestors.  After  repeated 
efforts  he  induced  a  number  of  the  chiefs  to  promise 
him  support  ;  and  011  the  19th  of  August,  he 
raised  his  standard  in  Glenfinnan,  with  upwards 
of  a  thousand  men  around  him.  Next  morning 
they  commenced  their  march,  and  were  soon  joined 
by  other  chiefs  and  their  followers.  As  the  only 
regular  army  in  the  kingdom  under  General  Cope 
was  moved  from  Edinburgh  to  Inverness,  Prince 
Charles  resolved  to  advance  on  the  capital.  He 
entered  Perth  on  the  4th  of  September,  and  there 


CHARLES  EDWARD  IN    LATER  YEARS. 

{From  the  Portrait  by  O.  Humphrey.    Taken  at  Florence.) 


CHARLES  ENTERS  EDINBURGH.  267 


his  army  was  largely  reinforced.  On  the  nth  he 
recommenced  his  march,  crossed  the  Forth,  and 
took  possession  of  Edinburgh  on  the  17th,  amid  the 
applause  of  the  people. 

By  this  time  Cope  had  returned  from  Inverness, 
and  was  landing  his  troops  at  Dunbar.  But  the  in- 
surgents anticipated  his  action  and  advanced  to  meet 
him.  The  Highlanders  attacked  the  royal  army 
at  Preston  on  the  21st  of  September,  completely 
defeated  it,  and  Cope  fled  in  haste  to  Berwick.  Many 
prisoners  and  much  booty  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
victors.  The  Highland  army  re-entered  Edinburgh 
in  triumph;  and  for  a  few  weeks  Charles  held  court  at 
Holyrood  Palace  and  acted  as  king  of  Scotland.  But 
his  difficulties  were  only  beginning.  He  had  failed 
to  take  the  castle  of  Edinburgh,  and  few  of  the  Low- 
land people  supported  his  cause. 

Full  of  confidence  in  his  destiny,  Charles,  with  an 
army  of  about  six  thousand  men,  commenced  to  march 
on  London  on  the  1st  of  November.  They  took 
Carlisle  on  the  1 8th,  and  levied  a  contribution  from 
the  citizens.  Leaving  a  garrison  in  the  castle,  they 
resumed  the  march  on  the  22nd.  Few  recruits  joined 
the  prince's  ranks  in  the  progress  southward.  They 
reached  Manchester  on  the  27th,  where  two  hundred 
men  joined  the  army ;  but  there  was  no  indication  of 
a  great  movement  on  Charles'  side  in  England.  They 
advanced  to  Derby,  which  is  within  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  of  London,  when  the  leaders  of  the  army 
received  tidings  which  convinced  them  of  the  fatuity 
of  continuing  the  march.  There  were  three  armies 
in  the  field  opposed  to  them,  two  between  them  and 


268  RISINGS  OF  17 15  AND  1745. 


Scotland,  and  one  posted  for  the  defence  of  London. 
Immediate  retreat  was  their  last  chance  of  saving 
themselves  from  destruction.  But  Prince  Charles  was 
extremely  unwilling  to  turn  back,  and  bitterly  pro- 
tested against  such  a  proposal  ;  he  had  great  faith  in 
the  divine  right  and  justice  of  his  cause,  and  persisted 
in  advancing  to  the  climax  of  his  destiny.  The  retreat 
was  ordered  on  the  6th  of  December.  The  rank 
and  file  of  the  army  rent  the  air  with  cries  of  indig- 
nation ;  they  could  have  endured  to  be  defeated  by 
superior  numbers,  but  to  retreat  without  striking  a 
blow  was  an  insufferable  disgrace. 

When  they  returned,  Edinburgh  was  in  the  hands 
of  the  Government,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  kingdom 
troops  were  organised  and  prepared  to  act  against 
them.  They  retreated  through  Dumfries,  and  entered 
Glasgow  on  the  24th  of  December,  wearied  and 
tattered.  Charles  exacted  a  large  contribution  of 
clothing  and  shoes  from  the  city,  rested  a  week,  and 
proceeded  to  Stirling.  On  the  17th  of  January,  1746, 
they  attacked  and  defeated  the  royal  force  under 
General  Hawley,  at  Falkirk.  The  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land was  commissioned  to  extinguish  the  rising. 
He  arrived  at  Edinburgh  on  the  30th  of  January  ; 
and,  with  an  army  of  fourteen  thousand  men,  and 
a  train  of  artillery,  advanced  northward.  Charles' 
army  was  attempting  to  reduce  Stirling  Castle 
when  tidings  of  Cumberland's  advance  came.  The 
insurgents  then  commenced  a  retreat,  and  reached 
Crieff  on  the  2nd  of  February.  There  they  sepa- 
rated into  two  divisions,  one,  under  the  prince,  moved 
by  Blair  Athole  ;   the  other,  under   Lord  George 


CUMBERLAND'S  MARCH.     CULLODEN  MOOR.  269 


Murray,  marched  by  Montrose  and  Aberdeen.  It 
was  arranged  that  they  should  meet  at  Inverness. 
Cumberland  proceeded  to  Aberdeen  and  rested  his 
army  till  the  spring.  On  the  8th  of  April  he  com- 
menced his  march  for  Inverness  along  the  coast  in 
connection  with  a  victualling  fleet,  which  sailed 
parallel  with  his  army  ;  and  on  the  14th  he  reached 
Nairn. 


THE  OLD  TOLBOOTH  TOWER,  ABERDEEN. 

By  this  time  the  prince's  army  was  suffering  severely 
from  constant  exposure  and  want  of  food.  The  men 
were  much  exhausted,  and  at  the  utmost  only  num- 
bered five  thousand  foot,  and  one  hundred  cavalry. 
They  were  mustered  on  Culloden  Moor ;  but  though  the 
most  experienced  chiefs  earnestly  entreated  Charles  to 


270 


RISINGS  OF  1715  AND  1745. 


avoid  a  battle  or  remove  to  a  better  position,  yet  he 
was  deaf  to  all  reason  and  insisted  on  an  immediate 
action.  Thus  his  followers  were  forced  to  form  on 
the  Moor  behind  the  enclosure  of  Culloden  House. 
The  Duke  continued  his  march,  and  came  in  sight  of 
the  insurgents.  On  the  16th  of  April,  he  began  the 
battle  by  a  canonade  which  committed  much  havoc 
in  the  insurgent's  ranks.  After  a  heroic  charge  and  a 
severe  but  brief  combat,  the  clansmen  were  defeated 
by  the  weight  of  superior  numbers,  and  many  of  them 
were  mercilessly  massacred  in  the  pursuit.  Prince 
Charles  escaped,  and  the  remnants  of  his  army  dis- 
persed. The  victors  then  began  an  indiscriminate 
slaughter  of  all  those  supposed  to  be  disaffected  to  the 
Government,  or  in  any  way  connected  with  the  rising. 
The  Duke  of  Cumberland  and  General  Hawley  have 
entailed  on  themselves  eternal  infamy  by  the  cruelties 
which  they  inflicted  upon  the  defenceless  and  innocent 
inhabitants  of  the  Highlands. 

There  was  great  rejoicing  in  London  over  the  vic- 
tory at  Culloden.  But  many  people  who  were  not 
Jacobites,  were  shocked  by  the  details  of  the  cruelties 
and  sufferings  inflicted  on  the  Celtic  population.  Dr. 
Smollett,  the  well-known  novelist,  gave  expression  to 
this  feeling  in  his  poem,  entitled  "  The  Tears  of  Scot- 
land," of  which  the  following  lines  are  a  specimen  : — 

"  Mourn,  hapless  Caledonia,  mourn, 
Thy  banished  peace,  thy  laurels  torn ! 
Thy  sons,  for  valour  long  renowned, 
Lie  slaughtered  on  their  native  ground ; 
Thy  hospitable  roofs  no  more 
Invite  the  stranger  to  the  door ; 


272  RISINGS  OF  1715  AND  1745. 


In  smoky  ruins  sunk  they  lie, 
The  monuments  of  cruelty. 

Oh  !  baneful  cause,  oh  !  fatal  morn, 
Accursed  to  ages  yet  unborn  ; 
The  sons  against  their  fathers  stood, 
The  parent  shed  his  children's  blood. 
Yet,  when  the  rage  of  battle  ceased, 
The  victor's  soul  was  not  appeased : 
The  naked  and  forlorn  must  feel 
Devouring  flames  and  murdering  steel. 

The  pious  mother,  doomed  to  death, 
Forsaken  wanders  o'er  the  heath, 
The  bleak  winds  whistle  round  her  head, 
Her  helpless  orphans  cry  for  bread  ; 
Bereft  of  shelter,  food,  and  friend, 
She  views  the  shades  of  night  descend ; 
And  stretched  beneath  the  inclement  skies, 
Weeps  o'er  her  tender  babes,  and  dies." 

From  the  Revolution  to  the  suppression  of  the  last 
rising,  the  rhymes  and  ballads  were  the  common  out- 
come of  the  rhymers  of  the  street,  the  alehouse,  the 
club,  the  festival  board,  the  farmhouse,  and  the  cot, 
amongst  the  valleys  and  the  hills.  The  Jacobites 
always  endeavoured  to  catch  the  ear  of  the  people, 
and  constantly  appealed  to  the  lighter  emotions,  the 
passions,  and  the  selfish  feelings  under  the  guise  of  a 
mass  of  rough  humour  and  coarse  satire — thrown  at 
the  new  dynasty  and  the  Whigs — the  alleged  authors 
of  all  the  woes  of  the  nation.  After  the  battle  of 
Culloden  a  higher  strain  was  struck.  The  bitterness 
of  defeat,  of  suffering,  and  of  sorrow,  filled  the  souls 


JACOBITE  SONGS. 


273 


of  the  Jacobites  and  inspired  them  with  a  mournful 
and  yet  noble  resolution  to  yield  to  their  fate,  and 
make  the  best  of  the  changed  circumstances.  There 
are  a  large  number  of  these  later  Jacobite  songs  and 
ballads.  Some  of  them  are  beautiful  and  exceedingly 
touching,  and  still  popular  in  Scotland. 


XVIII. 


GENERAL  RESULT  OF  THE  OPERATION  OF  THE 
UNION. 

LOOKING  at  the  Union  as  means  to  an  end,  we  find 
it  had  a  vast  effect  on  the  welfare  of  the  people.  At 
once  it  greatly  widened  the  field  of  commercial  enter- 
prise to  the  Scots,  and  directly  tended  to  afford  them 
more  security  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  The  Scots 
always  had  a  fund  of  energy  and  ample  power  of 
endurance,  but  external  obstacles  had  long  retarded 
their  progress  and  crippled  their  best  efforts.  Hence, 
when  the  nation  was  placed  under  more  favourable 
conditions  by  the  Union,  the  people  advanced  rapidly 
in  wealth  and  civilisation. 

It  was  the  earnest  desire  of  the  Scots  to  obtain 
equal  commercial  rights  which  made  the  Union 
possible  and  endurable.  Though  (as  we  shall  see) 
the  first  attempts  to  adjust  the  fiscal  relations  of 
the  two  kingdoms  caused  disturbance,  still  it  was 
ultimately  beneficial.  Another  most  important 
arrangement  was  the  coinage.  In  1708  the  Scottish 
coins  were  finally  called  in,  and  preparations  were 
made  for  a  coinage  exactly  on  the  method  of  the 


COMMERCIAL  ADVANTAGES. 


275 


English  mint.  Thus  one  of  the  good  results  of  the 
Union  was  soon  obtained  ;  as  the  convenience  and 
advantage  of  only  one  coinage  and  standard  of 
money  for  the  island  is  obvious. 

Prior  to  the  Union  the  Scots  were  permitted  to 
trade  only  where  the  English  Government  thought 
fit  But  after  it  there  was  no  limitation,  their  ships 
might  trade  with  the  remotest  quarters  of  the 
world.  The  splendid  ships  and  fine  steamers 
which  have  steered  from  the  ports  of  Scotland  for 


several  generations  afford  ample  evidence  of  the 
energy,  the  skill,  and  the  enterprise  of  her  sons. 
Since  the  Union  the  development  of  shipping  and 
shipbuilding,  has  been  vast  and  varied.  Shipbuilding 
itself  has  passed  through  several  revolutions  in  which 
Scotland  has  taken  a  leading  part.  It  may,  therefore, 
be  affirmed  that  the  Union  commercially  has  been 
highly  beneficial,  and  that  the  advantages  flowing 
from  it  have  tended  to  promote  the  prosperity  and 


MORAL  ADVANTAGES. 


277 


the  material  development  of  the  natural  resources  of 
the  country. 

Although  the  Scots  relinquished  their  separate 
legislative  power,  they  gained  a  position  and  a  share 
in  the  government  of  a  larger  nation,  and  in  the  honour 
and  glory  of  the  British  Empire.  As  they  retained 
their  own  laws  and  legal  organisations,  and  their 
religious  and  educational  institutions,  the  great  change 
implied  in  the  Union  embraced  many  elements  of 
moral  advantage.  Scotch  nationality  and  patriotism 
have  continued  essentially  unimpaired,  but  much 
of  its  prejudice  and  narrowness  which  the  strife 
of  preceding  ages  had  generated,  has  been  slowly 
thrown  off.  It  is  always  true  that  a  people's  own 
country  and  affairs  are  of  prime  importance  to 
them  ;  yet  a  people  that  limited  all  their  faculties  and 
energies  to  the  internal  affairs  of  their  own  country, 
would  be  emphatically  characterised  as  a  narrow- 
minded,  a  poor,  and  an  unsympathetic  community.  If 
all  our  political  institutions  and  social  organisations 
were  expressly  framed  and  exclusively  directed  to 
this  one  end,  it  would  manifest  a  weak  and  a  con- 
temptible ideal  of  humanity.  From  these  and  many 
other  considerations,  it  appears  to  me  that  the  Union 
afforded  great  and  inestimable  moral  advantages  to 
Scotland.  And  the  records  of  the  last  hundred  years 
show  that  Scotsmen  have  fully  appreciated  and 
enjoyed  these  advantages. 

The  Union  conferred  many  advantages,  and  also 
entailed  disadvantages,  in  political  and  legislative 
relations.  It  might  be  assumed  that  the  united 
deliberation  and  counsel  of  the  British  Parliament 


278  GENERAL  RESULT  OF  THE  UNION. 

would  be  more  competent  to  frame  wise  and  useful 
legislation  than  a  Scotch  Parliament.  This  would 
depend  on  the  accuracy  of  the  information  which  the 
British  Parliament  possessed  of  the  opinions  and 
convictions  of  the  Scotch  people  and  of  their  insti- 
tutions, and,  from  a  lack  of  this,  has  occasionally 
inflicted  pain  and  injustice  on  the  people  of  Scot- 
land. An  instructive  instance  occurred  after  the 
first  rising,  touching  the  disposal  of  the  forfeited 
estates.  Parliament  placed  the  control  of  the  matter 
in  the  hands  of  a  Commission,  which  proceeded  to 
sell  the  estates.  A  number  of  creditors  who  had 
claims  on  the  estates  applied  to  the  Court  of  Session, 
and  sequestration  was  granted.  The  commissioners 
failed  to  understand  this  proceeding,  and  complained 
to  the  Government  that  they  were  prevented  from  dis- 
charging their  duty  by  a  body  calling  itself  the  Court 
of  Session  ;  they  therefore  asked  the  Government  to 
increase  their  powers.  And  the  British  Parliament 
passed  an  Act  which  ignored  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Court  of  Session,  in  direct  violation  of  the  stipulations 
of  the  Union,  and  in  spite  of  the  protest  of  the  Scotch 
judges. 

In  finance  and  fiscal  arrangements  the  British 
Parliament  has  not  generally  treated  Scotland  worse 
than  England.  For  a  generation  or  two  after  the 
Union  much  irritation  was  caused  by  changes  and 
rearrangements  in  this  branch  of  government,  and  a 
few  examples  may  be  narrated.  Ale  was  a  staple 
necessary  in  the  domestic  economy  and  trade  of  the 
nation.  At  the  time  of  the  Union  there  was  no  malt 
tax  in  Scotland,  but  there  was  a  duty  on  liquor.  In 


DIFFICULTIES  WITH  THE  MALT  TAX.  2J9 

/713  a  malt  tax  of  6d.  per  bushel  was  imposed  upon 
Scotland,  though  the  Scotch  members  in  both  Houses 
of  Parliament  bitterly  opposed  it.  At  this  date  there 
were  upwards  of  five  thousand  maltsters  in  Scotland  ; 
and  in  June  the  tax  was  ordered  to  be  enforced. 
"  But  such  was  the  general  and  determined  resolution 
of  the  inhabitants  not  to  submit,  that  the  officers  of 
excise  for  several  years  were  everywhere  refused 
access  to  survey  and  charge  the  duty ;  and  that  when 
charged  it  was  never  paid,  nor  could  it  be  recovered 
by  proceedings  at  law,  as  the  justices  of  peace  in  all 
the  counties  refused  to  act.  The  consequence  was 
that,  during  the  twelve  years  after  the  24th  of  June, 
17 1 3,  while  the  tax  continued  at  6d.  per  bushel,  the 
duty  actually  levied  amounted  to  a  mere  trifle,  and 
fell  considerably  short  of  the  necessary  expense 
attending  this  branch  of  the  revenue." 

In  1724  the  Government  wished  to  raise  ^20,000 
by  a  tax  on  Scotch  ale.  Parliament  passed  an  Act 
proposing  to  levy  6d.  per  barrel  on  ale  instead  of  the 
malt  tax,  and  to  exclude  the  Scots  from  the  bounty 
on  exported  grain,  which  was  to  be  continued  in 
England.  The  nation  vehemently  resented  the 
proposal,  and  protested  against  it.  It  was  relin- 
quished, and  a  malt  tax  of  3d.  per  bushel  imposed. 
As  ^"20,000  had  to  be  drawn  from  the  Scots,  it  was 
enacted  that,  if  the  tax  of  3d.  failed  to  produce  the 
amount,  it  must  be  made  up  by  a  surcharge  on 
maltsters. 

The  Act  came  into  operation  in  June,  1725,  and  the 
citizens  of  Glasgow  manifested  a  sullen  attitude  when 
the  excisemen  were  preparing  to  enforce  it.  The 


28o  GENERAL  RESULT  OF  THE  UNION. 


following  day  they  appeared  in  crowds  on  the 
streets  ;  the  magistrates  failed  to  disperse  them,  and 
a  party  of  soldiers  were  called  into  the  city.  Shouts 
were  raised  against  Campbell  of  Shawfield,  their 
member  of  parliament,  who  was  suspected  of  having 
assisted  the  Government.  They  said,  as  he  had 
already  betrayed  them,  now  he  was  to  enslave  them 
beneath  a  military  yoke,  and  slay  them  if  they 
resisted.  At  night  they  attacked  his  house  and 
laid  it  in  ruins.  Next  morning  the  mob  appeared 
and  jeered  at  the  soldiers  on  guard.  Their  com- 
mander ordered  them  to  turn  out  and  form  square, 
and,  without  the  authority  of  the  provost,  commanded 
them  to  fire  on  the  crowd.  Eight  of  the  citizens  were 
killed  and  many  wounded.  The  crisis  was  reached. 
The  people  ran  to  an  old  armoury,  and  having  armed 
themselves,  at  once  presented  so  threatening  a  front 
that  it  was  feared  all  the  soldiers  would  be  massacred, 
and  the  officer  marched  them  to  Dumbarton.  A 
regiment  of  infantry,  seven  troops  of  dragoons,  and 
a  company  of  Highlanders  from  General  Wade's 
force,  were  sent  into  Glasgow,  and  quietness  was 
restored.  Criminal  proceedings  were  instituted,  the 
magistrates  of  Glasgow  were  seized  and  imprisoned 
in  Edinburgh.  The  charges  against  them  were 
abandoned,  but  a  few  of  the  rioters  were  punished. 
The  captain  in  command  of  the  party  who  fired  upon 
the  crowd,  was  tried  and  condemned,  but  received  a 
royal  pardon.  The  citizens  of  Glasgow  were  deeply 
offended,  and  the  Jacobites  were  exceedingly  jubilant. 

In  Edinburgh  the  opposition  to  the  malt  tax 
assumed   a   determined    form.     All   the  brewers 


MALT  TAX.  SMUGGLING. 


28l 


resolved  to  cease  brewing.  The  Lord  Advocate 
lodged  a  complaint  against  them  in  the  Court  of 
Session,  and  the  Court  ordered  them  to  proceed  with 
their  work  as  usual.  They  refused,  and  some  of  them 
were  imprisoned  ;  but  at  last  they  yielded.  These 
proceedings  were  only  the  first  of  a  series  of  excise 
difficulties  which  continued  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years.  In  some  parts  of  the  north  and  west  of  the 
kingdom  smuggling  whisky  was  common  till  past  the 
first  quarter  of  the  present  century.  The  smuggling 
brewing  houses  were  often  beside  a  fresh  spring 
or  stream  of  water,  in  out-of-the-way  glens  and 
hill-sides,  where  no  one  could  see  them  without 
searching  carefully  ;  in  general,  they  were  small  and 
rudely  constructed.  The  whisky  smuggler  usually 
stored  his  malt  in  a  square  pit  on  a  hill  among  long 
heather  and  at  some  distance  from  his  brewing  house. 

The  malt  tax  continued  at  from  3d.  to  yd.  per 
bushel  till  the  end  of  last  century.  In  1802  it 
was  raised  to  is.  8d.  per  bushel,  which  caused 
universal  complaints  in  Scotland.  The  following 
year  the  tax  was  raised  to  3s.  8d.  per  bushel, 
which  occasioned  a  great  outcry  throughout  the 
kingdom,  though  the  tax  was  8d.  per  bushel  more 
in  England  than  in  Scotland.  But  the  effect  of  this 
enormous  increase  of  the  tax  on  the  cultivation  of 
Scotch  bere  or  barley  was  immediately  ruinous. 
And  in  1804  Sir  John  Sinclair  stated:  "The  malt 
duties  lately  imposed  seem  to  have  been  intended 
to  annihilate  the  cultivation  of  this  grain  altogether; 
it  would  be  but  spending  time  to  no  purpose  to 
express  anything  on  the  subject.    We  may  indeed 


282  GENERAL  RESULT  OF  THE  UNION. 

continue  to  grow  a  little  of  it  for  the  purpose  of 
feeding  our  horses,  or  feeding  our  poor  people,  but 
as  to  making  it  into  malt,  that  appears  to  be 
altogether  out  of  the  question,  as  the  demand  for  it 
for  that  purpose  has  not  merely  declined,  but  ceased 
altogether  ;  insomuch  that,  had  it  not  been  for  a  few 
cargoes  of  it  that  were  taken  off  our  hands  this  season 
to  feed  the  people  that  were  starving  in  Shetland  and 
in  Norway,  we  might  have  dunged  our  land  with  it  for 
any  other  market  that  this  country  now  affords."  It 
was  further  recorded  that  the  use  of  ale  and  beer  had 
been  very  generally  relinquished  over  whole  districts ; 
and  that  the  extinguishing  of  the  Scotch  farmer's 
market  for  his  principal  crop  was  reducing  his 
ability  to  cultivate  the  land,  and  rendering  him  less 
able  to  pay  his  rents  and  taxes,  and  less  capable 
of  serving,  as  well  as  less  serviceable  to  the  com- 
munity by  producing  the  necessaries  of  life. 

Of  Scotch  whisky,  which  has  long  been  famous 
50,844  gallons  were  produced  in  1708.  In  1756  there 
were  433,81 1  gallons;  but  then  the  duty  was  increased, 
which  caused  a  fall  in  the  production.  Shortly  after 
a  demand  for  Scotch  whisky  arose  in  England,  and 
large  quantities  of  it  were  transmitted  there  ;  but  an 
import  duty  of  2s.  6d.  a  gallon  was  imposed,  which 
was  quickly  followed  by  a  system  of  smuggling. 
It  is  said  that  in  1787,  upwards  of  300,000  gallons 
of  Scotch  wrhisky  crossed  the  Border  without 
the  cognisance  of  the  excise.  A  new  mode  of 
charging  the  duty  on  spirits  was  tried  in  1786,  the 
licence  duty  being  calculated  upon  the  capacity  of 
the  stills.    But  the  distillers  soon  altered  the  form 


SCOTCH  WHISKY. 


283 


of  the  stills,  and  increased  the  rate  of  production. 
When  the  Government  discovered  this,  the  amount 
of  the  licence  was  raised  year  by  year,  till  in  1798 
it  amounted  to  £64  16s.  46.  per  gallon  of  still 
capacity.  The  mode  of  charging  the  duty  was 
again  changed  in  1799,  when  a  duty  of  4s.  io^d. 
was  put  on  each  gallon  of  spirits  produced  for  home 
consumption.  There  were  then  eighty-seven  licensed 
distillers  in  Scotland,  but  they  diapproved  of  the 
change,  and  many  of  them  gave  up  business,  so  the 
amount  of  duty  fell  off  for  a  year  or  two.  In  1802 
the  Government  reduced  the  duty  to  3s.  io^d.  per 
gallon.  In  1803  there  were  eighty-eight  distillers, 
who  paid  a  duty  of  £2,022, 409.  The  next  year  the 
duty  was  raised,  and  the  number  of  distillers  decreased, 
till  in  181 3  there  were  only  twenty-four  ;  at  this  time 
the  duty  was  9s.  4^d.  per  gallon.  In  1823  it  was 
lowered  to  2s.  4^d.  per  gallon,  when  the  number  of 
distillers  greatly  increased,  and  the  revenue  accord- 
ingly rose.  In  1833  the  rate  of  duty  was  3s.  4^d.  a 
gallon,  and  the  number  of  distillers  243,  who  paid  a 
duty  of  £5,988,556.  In  1840  the  duty  was  3s.  8d., 
the  number  of  distillers  205,  and  the  quantity  of 
whisky  produced  9,032,353  gallons.  The  same  year 
the  quantity  of  spirits  charged  with  duty  as  consumed 
in  Scotland  was  6,007,631  gallons.  In  1855  the 
quantity  of  whisky  produced  was  11,283,636  gallons. 
In  1867  there  were  11 1  distillers,  and  the  whisky 
produced  was  10,813,996  gallons,  and  the  same  year 
the  quantity  of  spirits  charged  with  duty  as  consumed 
in  Scotland  was  4,983,000  gallons. 

In  1748  the  Imperial  Parliament  abolished  here- 


384  GENERAL  RESULT  OF  THE  UNION. 

ditary  jurisdictions  in  Scotland,  which  were  associated 
with  the  ownership  of  land  and  titles  of  rank.  It  was 
a  wise  measure,  but  it  should  have  been  passed 
immediately  after  Mar's  rising.  The  forfeited  estates 
of  the  nobles  and  chiefs  implicated  in  the  rising  of 
1745  were  pretty  well  managed  by  a  board  of  com- 
missioners ;  and  a  part  of  the  proceeds  drawn  from 
them  were  applied  to  public  improvements.  The 
Highland  Society,  instituted  in  1784,  received  a  grant 
of  £3,000,  and  £50,000  was  lent  to  complete  the 
Forth  and  Clyde  Canal,  which  the  proprietors  of  the 
canal  repaid  before  1806.  £25,000  was  lent  for 
completing  the  Crinan  Canal ;  and  a  like  sum  to  the 
magistrates  of  Edinburgh  to  improve  the  harbour  of 
Leith  ;  and  £1,000  to  erect  a  prison  in  Inverness. 
In  1784  the  estates  were  restored  to  the  heirs  of 
the  former  owners,  under  the  condition  that  they 
should  repay  the  sums  paid  by  the  public  on  account 
of  the  debts  due  by  the  persons  whose  estates  had 
been  forfeited,  which  amounted  to  upwards  of 
£90,000. 

In  the  closing  years  of  the  last  and  the  opening 
years  of  the  present  century  there  was  a  spirit  of 
emigration  in  the  Highlands.  The  Highland  Society, 
in  the  years  1801,  1802,  and  1803,  transmitted  several 
reports  giving  detailed  information  to  the  Govern- 
ment, touching  the  means  of  diverting  the  rage  for 
emigration  which  prevailed  ;  they  strongly  urged 
the  Government  to  encourage  public  works,  such  as 
the  Caledonian  Canal,  and  the  construction  of  roads 
and  bridges  in  the  Highlands.  In  1803  Parliament 
passed  an  Act  authorising  a  sum  of  £20,000  for 


MEANS  OF  COMMUNICATION. 


285 


making  roads  and  bridges  in  the  Highlands,  and 
enabling  landowners  to  encumber  their  estates  with 
a  portion  of  the  expense  of  such  works.  The 
Government  had  employed  Mr.  Telford,  the  eminent 
engineer,  to  survey  and  report  on  the  state  of  the 
roads  and  bridges,  and  on  the  means  of  promoting 
the  fisheries  on  the  east  and  west  coasts,  with  the 
object  of  preventing  further  emigration  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Highlands.  He  collected  a  vast 
mass  of  interesting  and  important  facts,  and  pre- 
sented his  report  in  April,  1803  ;  and  in  summer  he 
received  instructions  to  prepare  for  practical  opera- 
tions. He  proceeded  to  the  Highlands,  planned  the 
lines  of  roads  and  bridges  which  were  most  necessary, 
and  aimed  at  securing  the  connection  of  the  new  lines 
of  roads  by  bridges  at  the  most  important  points, 
such  as  Dunkeld,  over  the  Tay.  The  bridge  of 
Dunkeld,  which  forms  the  opening  to  the  central 
Highlands,  was  finished  in  1809,  and  the  communi- 
cation to  the  north  of  Inverness  was  continued  by  a 
bridge  over  the  Beauly.  He  also  erected  important 
bridges  to  connect  the  existing  lines  of  roads — one  at 
Ballater  over  the  Dee,  another  at  Alford  over  the 
Don,  and  one  at  Craigellachie  over  the  Spey. 
Having  thus  connected  the  main  lines  of  roads,  he 
concentrated  his  attention  upon  the  interior  of  the 
Highlands.  And  by  the  year  1820,  twelve  hundred 
new  bridges  were  erected,  and  nine  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  of  good  roads  were  added  to  the  means 
of  communication  in  this  region.  The  first  stage 
coaches  which  ran  northward  from  Perth  to  Inver- 
ness were  tried  in  1808;   before  181 1  they  were 


POLITICAL  STATE  OF  THE  PEOPLE.  287 

regularly  established;  and  in  1820  forty  stage 
coaches  arrived  in  Inverness  every  week,  and  as 
many  departed. 

The  Caledonian  Canal,  also  the  work  of  Telford, 
was  opened  in  1822.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  since 
that  time  there  has  been  a  complete  revolution  in 
the  means  of  communication  both  on  sea  and  land  : 
nevertheless,  the  opening  up  of  the  Highlands  was 
an  important  step  in  the  Story  of  Scotland. 

In  the  last  century  there  was  no  popular  represen- 
tation in  Scotland.  The  town  councils  elected  the 
borough  members  of  parliament ;  and  in  1790,  the 
total  number  of  voters  in  all  the  counties  of  the 
kingdom  was  only  2,652.  In  those  days  it  was  an  easy 
matter  for  the  Government  to  manage  the  elections 
as  they  thought  fit,  and  they  did  so.  The  press  was 
only  in  its  infancy  :  a  hard  and  bitter  contest  had 
to  be  fought  ere  it  obtained  freedom  of  discussion. 
Corporations  and  public  bodies  might  speak  for  them- 
selves ;  but  the  opinion  of  the  general  community 
was  not  recognised  as  having  any  claim  to  be  heard 
or  consulted.  The  Government  recognised  no  public 
opinion  save  that  which  issued  from  themselves  or 
their  official  organs.  So  long  as  the  people  plodded 
on  quietly  at  their  daily  occupations,  the  corruption 
of  the  political  fabric  was  concealed  behind  its 
official  trappings.  But,  when  the  French  Revolution 
burst  out,  it  sent  a  shock  of  alarm  and  panic  into  the 
heart  of  every  government  in  Europe. 

Its  effects  soon  appeared  in  the  administration  of 
Scotland.  The  terror  cf  revolution  seized  the  British 
Government ;  reason  itself  shook,  and  justice  and 


288         GENERAL  RESULT  OF  THE  UNION. 


humanity  were  driven  beyond  the  gates  of  mercy, 
Everything  rung  with  the  French  Revolution,  which 
was  made  the  all-in-all  for  about  twenty  years.  "  Every- 
thing, not  this  or  that,  but  literally  everything, 
was  soaked  in  this  one  event/*  Although  there  is 
no  evidence  that  any  considerable  number  of  persons 
in  Scotland  ever  embraced  the  French  revolutionary 
principles,  there  were  many  people  who  desired  to 
reform  the  existing  political  system  of  government. 
But  the  reigning  Toryism,  in  order  to  retain  its 
monopoly  of  power,  fixed  upon  all  reformers  and 
opponents  the  stigma  of  Jacobins,  revolutionaries, 
and  seditious  persons.  There  were  but  few  real 
Whigs  in  Scotland,  and  they  were  viewed  by  the 
Government  with  extreme  suspicion  :  even  Dugald 
Stewart,  the  fluent  professor  of  moral  philosophy  in 
Edinburgh,  was  an  object  of  great  secret  alarm.  Al! 
persons  who  held  liberal  opinions  were  subjected  to 
contumely,  insult,  and  personal  loss  and  danger  for 
many  years. 

The  Government  suppressed  all  attempts  to  form 
political  associations.  It  employed  a  set  of  spies 
who  often  brought  innocent  and  unsuspecting  persons 
into  the  iron  grasp  of  the  criminal  law.  When  any 
government  expressly  pays  men  to  discover  sedition 
among  a  peaceful  community,  these  men  in  the 
interest  of  their  trade  will  soon  create  a  show  of  the 
article  required  by  their  employers  :  this  was  what 
happened  in  Scotland.  A  number  of  men  were 
seized,  imprisoned,  and  accused  of  sedition,  tried, 
convicted,  and  sentenced  to  death  or  transportation. 
At  one  of  these  political  trials  the  Lord  Justice 


FREEDOM.     CHANGED  CONDITIONS.  289 

Clerk  in  his  address  to  the  jury  laid  it  down  as  an 
unquestionable  doctrine — "  That  the  British  Con- 
stitution is  the  best  that  ever  was  since  the  creation 
of  the  world,  and  it  is  impossible  to  make  it  better." 
After  that  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  said,  since 
all  reform  was  futile. 

Liberal  principles  and  freedom  of  discussion  slowly 
advanced  in  Scotland.  First  the  better  classes  of 
tradesmen,  next  the  middle  and  commercial  class, 
and  then  the  Whigs  raised  their  voice  in  parliament. 
Signs  began  to  appear  which  convinced  those  in 
authority  that  their  lease  of  power  was  not  eternal. 
Still  the  body  of  the  people  were  for  long  left  outside 
of  the  constitution  ;  they  had  to  fight  more  than  a 
generation  ere  they  obtained  political  rights. 

If  we  look  to  the  change  of  conditions  and  circum- 
stances arising  from  the  extension  and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  British  Empire  since  the  Union,  the 
greater  complexity  of  internal  organisation,  and  the 
advance  of  civilisation  in  the  United  Kingdom,  it 
may  easily  be  seen  that  the  Imperial  Government 
of  1707  had  a  much  narrower  range  of  business, 
and  less  difficult  problems  to  deal  with,  than  fall  to 
the  lot  of  the  Government  of  the  present  day.  In  the 
present  century  there  have  been  revolutions  in 
governments,  in  commerce,  in  the  means  of  warfare, 
in  industry,  in  the  means  of  communication,  and 
also  in  thought  and  belief.  It  is  idle  to  imagine 
that  the  legislative  apparatus  and  constitution  of  the 
past,  is  competent  to  master  and  to  treat  the  political 
and  social  problems  of  the  present. 


XIX. 


RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENTS. 

THE  ideas  of  the  Scotch  Reformers  were  not  elabo- 
rated at  once  ;  religion  and  secular  government  were 
often  mixed  in  the  early  stages  of  the  Reformation 
movement.  A  Church  distinct  from  and  independent 
of  the  State  was  an  idea  quite  alien  to  the  forms  of 
thought  which  prevailed  amongst  the  Reformers ; 
on  the  other  hand,  a  secular  government  distinct 
from  and  independent  of  the  Church  was  a  conception 
scarcely  entertained  by  any  statesman  of  the  sixteenth 
or  seventeenth  centuries.  The  common  notions  of 
theocracy  were  held  by  the  Church  and  State  as 
being  both  under  the  direction  of  God,  and  therefore 
requiring  to  be  associated.  The  theocratic  idea  is 
grand  and  inspiring  in  contemplation.  But  in  prac- 
tical operation  it  appears  that  the  Church  and  the 
State  both  claim  a  supremacy  :  and  they  often  hold 
very  different  views  as  to  what  is  the  will  of  God, 
or  how  far  and  in  what  circumstances  the  word  of 
God  should  be  followed.  The  king  may  maintain 
that  he  alone  under  God  has  a  supremacy  over  the 
Church,  and  everything  else  within  his  dominions, 


POLITY  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  SCOTLAND.  2gi 

as  was  done  by  James  VI.,  Charles  I.,  Charles  II.,  and 
James  VII.  Whoever  wishes  to  understand  the 
many  struggles  of  the  Church  of  Scotland  should 
form  a  clear  conception  of  the  theocratic  principle. 

According  to  the  historic  polity  of  the  Church,  the 
doctrine  of  the  spiritual  and  civil  powers  were  as 
follows  : — "  This  power  and  ecclesiastical  polity  is 
different  and  distinct  from  that  which  is  called  the 
civil  power,  and  belongs  to  the  civil  government  of 
the  commonwealth  ;  although  they  are  both  of  God 
and  tend  to  the  same  end,  if  they  be  rightly  used, 
namely,  to  advance  the  glory  of  God,  and  to  have 
good  subjects.  This  ecclesiastical  power  flows 
immediately  from  God  and  the  Mediator,  Christ 
Jesus,  and  is  spiritual,  not  having  a  temporal  head 
on  earth,  but  only  Christ,  the  spiritual  King  and 
Governor  of  His  Church.  Therefore  this  power  and 
polity  of  the  Church  should  lean  upon  the  Word 
of  God  immediately,  as  the  only  ground  thereof,  and 
should  be  taken  from  the  pure  fountains  of  the 
Scriptures,  hearing  the  voice  of  Christ,  the  only 
spiritual  King,  and  being  ruled  by  His  laws.  .  .  .  The 
civil  power  should  command  the  spiritual  to  exercise 
and  perform  their  office  according  to  the  Word  of 
God.  The  spiritual  rulers  should  require  the  Christian 
magistrates  to  administer  justice  and  punish  vice  ; 
and  to  maintain  the  liberty  and  peace  of  the  Church 
within  their  bound.  .  .  .  The  magistrate  ought  to 
assist,  maintain,  and  fortify  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Church.  The  ministers  ought  to  assist  their  princes 
in  all  things  agreeable  to  the  Word  of  God,  pro- 
vided they  do  not  neglect  their  own  charge  by  in- 
volving themselves  in  civil  affairs," 


292 


RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENTS. 


This  theory  is  grounded  on  the  assumption  that 
the  Church  and  the  State  ought  to  assist  each  other, 
and  runs  on  the  lines  of  a  co-ordinate  jurisdiction. 
As  to  supremacy  in  the  case  of  the  Church,  the 
final  appeal  is  to  the  word  of  God,  and  Christ, 
the  Head  and  King ;  in  other  words,  it  is  a  distinct 
development  of  the  theocratic  conception.  The 
ideas  involved  in  the  theory  are  irreconcilable  in 
practical  operation,  unless  under  peculiar  conditions 
and  circumstances  of  society. 

Touching  the  election  of  ministers  to  congregations, 
it  is  expressly  stated,  that  care  should  always  be  taken 
not  to  intrude  any  minister  on  a  congregation  if  they 
are  not  satisfied  with  him.  Hence  lay  patronage 
was  throughout  inconsistent  with  the  conception  and 
the  fundamental  principles  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  she  opposed  and  rejected  it,  and  fought  against 
it.  It  was  abolished  shortly  after  the  Revolution  of 
1688,  but  again  restored  by  the  British  Parliament 
in  17 1 2,  contrary  to  the  letter  and  the  spirit  of  the 
Treaty  of  Union,  and  to  all  conceptions  of  a  wise 
policy  toward  the  Scottish  nation. 

After  this  the  struggles  of  the  Church  were  mainly 
internal,  although  they  still  sprang  from  the  theory 
of  her  powers.  The  sentiments  and  feelings  en- 
gendered by  many  years  of  persecution  continued 
to  be  represented  in  the  Church  courts  ;  and  hence 
an  internal  struggle  arose  between  the  party  who 
held  firmly  to  these  sentiments  and  the  new  party 
—called  "  the  Moderate  party."  At  first  the  diffe- 
rence between  the  two  was  slight ;  but  in  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century  the  opposite  views  of  the 


ELECTION  OF  MINISTERS. 


293 


popular  and  the  moderate  parties  had  become 
distinct. 

The  chief  point  of  polity  in  dispute  was  the  settle- 
ment of  ministers  in  parishes  against  the  wishes  of 
the  congregations.  Cases  of  this  character  were 
constantly  coming  before  the  presbyteries  and 
general  assemblies  ;  and  in  1733,  ft  was  on  matters 
arising  from  such  cases  that  a  secession  took  place. 
Ebenezer  Erskine,  minister  of  Stirling,  was  a 
vehement  and  able  advocate  of  popular  election, 
and  in  a  sermon  at  the  opening  of  the  Synod  in 
1732,  he  stated  that:  "There  is  a  twofold  call 
necessary  for  a  man's  meddling  as  a  builder  in  the 
Church  of  God — there  is  the  call  of  God  and  of  His 
Church.  God's  call  consists  in  qualifying  a  man  for 
his  work.  .  .  .  The  call  of  the  Church  lies  in  the 
free  choice  and  election  of  the  Christian  people.  The 
promise  of  conduct  and  counsel  in  the  choice  of  men 
that  are  to  build  is  not  made  to  patrons  or  to  any 
set  of  men,  but  to  the  Church,  the  body  of  Christ, 
to  whom  apostles,  prophets,  pastors,  and  teachers 
are  given.  As  it  is  the  natural  privilege  of  every 
house  or  society  of  men  to  have  the  choice  of  their 
own  servants,  so  it  is  the  privilege  of  the  house  of 
God  in  particular.  What  a  miserable  bondage 
would  it  be  reckoned  for  any  family  to  have  servants 
imposed  on  them  by  strangers,  who  might  give  the 
children  a  stone  for  bread,  or  a  scorpion  instead  of 
a  fish,  or  poison  instead  of  medicine !  And  shall  we 
suppose  that  ever  God  granted  a  power  to  any  set  of 
men — patrons  or  whatever  they  be,  to  impose  servants 
on  His  family?" 


294 


RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENTS. 


Erskine  was  sharply  rebuked  by  the  synod  and  the 
General  Assembly  for  the  sentiments  uttered  in  his 
sermon.  But  he  adhered  to  every  word  of  it,  and 
protested  at  every  stage  of  the  proceedings  against 
him,  with  three  of  his  brethren  who  joined  him. 
They  boldly  repelled  every  attempt  of  the  assembly 
to  threaten  or  to  coerce  them.  At  last,  in  1740, 
they  were  turned  out  of  their  churches  and  manses 
but  several  years  before  this  they  had  formed  a  pres- 
bytery. Dissent  continued  to  increase,  and  in  1773, 
there  were  upwards  of  two  hundred  dissenting 
congregations,  besides  Episcopalians  and  Roman 
Catholics. 

The  question  of  patronage  and  the  intrusion  of 
presentees  on  reclaiming  congregations  occupied 
much  of  the  time  of  the  Church  courts.  In 
1752  Dr.  Robertson,  the  historian,  inaugurated  a 
movement  for  the  enforcement  of  the  law  of  patron- 
age. His  policy  had  a  most  deadening  tendency, 
inasmuch  as  those  who  adopted  it  had  no  higher 
principle  than  that  of  a  cringing  allegiance  to  the 
patrons.  So  this  party  soon  lost  the  confidence  and 
the  respect  of  the  people,  because  they  had  cast  off 
the  historic  glory  of  their  Church.  Dr.  Robertson 
retired  from  the  management  of  Church  affairs  in 
1780. 

In  1 78 1  the  synod  of  Glasgow  and  Ayr  presented 
overtures  to  the  General  Assembly  touching  patron- 
age, which  insisted  that  no  call  should  be  sustained 
unless  it  was  signed  by  a  majority  of  the  heritors, 
elders,  and  communicants  of  the  parish.  The 
assembly  dismissed  the  proposal,  because  it  was  of 


A  REVOLUTION  PREPARING.  295 


a  dangerous  tendency.  The  synods  of  Dumfries, 
Perth  and  Stirling  overtured  the  assembly  to 
state  exactly  what  was  meant  by  a  call  ;  but  this 
was  simply  dismissed  without  comment.  In  1783 
the  synods  of  Perth  and  Stirling,  and  Fife,  implored 
the  assembly  to  make  the  utmost  effort  to  get 
patronage  repealed.  The  moderate  party  tried  hard 
to  avoid  a  debate  ;  but  the  popular  party  proposed 
that  presbyteries  should  be  instructed  to  consult  with 
the  landed  gentry,  and  report  to  the  next  assembly. 
In  the  debate  it  was  emphatically  stated  that  the 
aversion  of  the  people  to  patronage  was  invincible, 
and  could  never  be  overcome. 

A  great  revolution  was  preparing.  The  changed 
conditions  and  circumstances  of  society  had  rendered 
the  theocratic  conception  impracticable,  while  the 
fundamental  principles  of  Presbyterianism  were 
almost  incomprehensible  to  politicians  and  lawyers 
beyond  the  Tweed.  Hence  their  futile  and  laughable 
efforts  to  check  the  evolution  of  the  movement. 

As  an  attempt  to  redress  the  evils  involved  in 
patronage,  the  popular  party  proposed,  in  the 
assembly  of  1833,  that  when  a  majority  of  a  con- 
gregation objected  to  the  minister  presented  by  the 
patron,  the  presbytery  should  not  proceed  with  the 
settlement.  The  proposal  was  debated  at  great 
length  ;  both  parties  exerted  themselves  to  the 
utmost.  Dr.  Cook  moved  that  the  proposal  should 
be  adopted,  and  it  was  carried.  The  assembly  of 
1834  passed  it  into  an  act;  and  its  effect  was  that 
when  a  clear  majority  of  the  male  heads  of  families, 
being  members  of  the  congregation  and  in  commu- 


296 


RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENTS. 


nion  with  the  Church,  deliberately  objected  to  the 
presentee's  settlement  as  their  minister,  in  that  case 
the  presbytery  of  the  district  should  not  proceed  to 
thrust  him  upon  the  congregation.  This  rule  is  else- 
where called  "  The  Veto  Act."  It  was  on  this  reason- 
able regulation  that  the  struggle  which  issued  in  the 
Disruption  was  fought,  although  there  were  other 
principles  involved  in  the  contest. 

Without  entering  into  many  details  I  shall  present 
the  leading  steps  of  the  movement  In  1834  the 
Earl  of  Kinnoull  presented  Mr.  Robert  Young  to  the 
parish  church  of  Auchterarder,  in  Perthshire,  and  the 
presbytery  of  the  district,  proceeding  in  the  usual 
form  to  admit  him,  found  that  only  two  of  the  con- 
gregation had  signed  his  call,  and  therefore  decided 
that  they  could  not  induct  him.  The  case  was 
brought  before  the  Court  of  Session,  and  the  judges 
decided  that  the  presbytery  had  acted  contrary  to 
the  statute  of  17 12.  This  decision  was  appealed  to 
the  House  of  Lords,  which  asserted  that  the  juris- 
diction of  the  civil  court  is  supreme,  and  affirmed 
the  judgment  of  the  Court  of  Session.  This  settled 
the  point  that  the  rejection  of  a  patron's  presentee 
on  the  ground  of  the  dissent  of  the  congregation  was 
illegal.  It  also  implied  the  conclusion  that  the  con- 
gregation had  no  legal  standing  in  the  settlement  of 
their  ministers  ;  their  only  duty  was  to  submit 
quietly  to  whoever  the  patron  thought  fit  to  place 
over  them. 

The  General  Assembly  met  on  May  16,  1839,  and 
intimation  of  the  grounds  of  the  final  contest  was 
given.    Dr.  Cook,  the  leader  of  the  moderate  party, 


PATRONAGE. 


297 


announced  that  his  followers  had  resolved  to  conduct 
the  affairs  of  the  Church  in  accordance  with  the 
decrees  of  the  civil  courts.  Dr.  Chalmers  said  that 
he  would  submit  a  motion  to  the  assembly.  The 
debates  were  long  and  exceedingly  animated.  Dr. 
Cook  insisted  that  "  The  Veto  Act,"  by  the  decision 
of  the  courts,  v/as  rendered  null,  as  the  Church  had 
been  acting  under  an  error  as  to  her  power.  Dr. 
Chalmers's  motion  was  that  the  Church  bowed  to  the 
decision  of  the  court,  so  far  as  matters  of  civil  right 
were  concerned,  but  he  avowed  that :  "  Whereas  the 
principle  of  non- intrusion  is  one  coeval  with  the 
Reformed  Church  of  Scotland,  and  forms  an  integral 
part  of  its  constitution,  embodied  in  its  standards, 
and  declared  in  various  acts  of  assembly,  the  General 
Assembly  resolved  that  this  principle  cannot  be 
abandoned,  and  that  no  presentee  should  be  forced 
upon  any  parish  contrary  to  the  will  of  the  congrega- 
tion.'' This  motion  was  carried  by  a  majority  of 
forty-nine,  and  a  deputation  from  the  committee 
appointed  under  it  proceeded  to  London  to  consult 
with  the  Government.  The  Government  were  un- 
willing to  attempt  to  legislate  on  the  points  in 
dispute,  and  their  almost  utter  ignorance  of  the 
subject  was  a  reason  for  their  apathy.  So  little  were 
the  Government  aware  of  the  facts  of  the  case  that 
they  never  dreamed  of  such  an  event  as  the  Dis- 
ruption. 

*  It  was  evident  that  the  crisis  was  nearing  its  issue, 
when,  in  1839,  the  seven  rebellious  ministers  of 
Strathbogie  were  suspended  to  prevent  them  from 
proceeding  with  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Edwards,  in 


DR.  CHALMERS. 


ACTION  OF  THE  SUSPENDED  MINISTERS.  299 


the  parish  of  Marnoch.  The  suspended  ministers 
placed  their  faith  in  the  Court  of  Session,  and  ex- 
hibited great  energy.  They  first  obtained  an  interdict 
to  prevent  the  minority  of  the  presbytery,  and  others, 
from  using  any  of  the  churches,  churchyards,  or 
schoolhouses,  in  executing  the  sentence  which  the 
assembly  had  pronounced  against  them.  They  next 
obtained  a  warrant  from  the  court  authorising  them 
to  continue  to  exercise  all  the  functions  of  the 
ministry. 

The  General  Assembly  met  in  May,  1840,  and  the 
popular  party  assumed  a  firm  attitude.  The  sus- 
pension of  the  Strathbogie  ministers  was  sustained 
by  a  majority  of  eighty-four,  but  the  debate  was 
extremely  vehement.  The  moderate  party  main- 
tained that  the  Church  must  submit  to  the  dicta- 
tion of  the  civil  courts,  as  this  was  the  law  of  the 
land,  and  obedience  to  it  the  first  duty  of  all  loyal 
subjects. 

Under  an  order  from  the  Court  of  Session  the 
suspended  ministers  of  Strathbogie  inducted  Mr. 
Edwards  in  the  church  of  Marnoch,  on  January  21, 
1 841.  The  majority  of  the  General  Assembly  were 
driven  into  a  position  which  rendered  any  compromise 
impossible  ;  so  they  deposed  the  Strathbogie  ministers. 
For  several  years  the  country  rang  with  the  clamour 
and  talk  of  non-intrusion  and  spiritual  indepen- 
dence, and  the  excitement  was  intense.  Pamphlets, 
speeches,  and  ballads  were  circulated  through  the 
kingdom  in  hundreds  of  thousands.  The  engrossing 
subject  attracted  the  attention  of  every  household, 
and  many  a  family  became  divided  in  religious  senti- 


3oo 


RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENTS. 


ments.  As  the  agitation,  the  controversy,  and  hot 
discussion  approached  its  climax,  the  non-intrusion 
party  repeatedly  sounded  the  kingdom  by  platform 
speeches  and  open-air  meetings. 

When  the  General  Assembly  of  1842  met  the 
anarchy  of  the  Church  was  painful.  Under  a  warrant 
from  the  Court  of  Session  the  deposed  ministers  cf 
Strathbogie  elected  two  of  their  number,  and  an  elder 
from  Aberdeen,  to  represent  them  in  the  assembly  ; 
but  on  a  division  their  members  were  rejected  by  a 
majority  of  one  hundred  and  thirty.  The  deposed 
ministers  went  further,  and  interdicted  the  members 
elected  by  the  other  party  in  the  presbytery  ;  but  the 
assembly  ignored  this,  and  the  members  took  their 
seats.  A  motion  to  abolish  patronage  was  proposed 
and  carried  by  a  majority  of  sixty-nine.  The  Claim 
of  Right  was  moved  and  debated  at  great  length, 
and  finally  carried  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-one.  The  Claim  is  an  able  and  well-known 
document.  It  was  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Andrew  Dunlop, 
advocate,  a  wise  and  resolute  gentleman  ;  he  gave 
much  of  his  time  and  thought  to  the  service  of  the 
Church,  for  which  he  never  accepted  a  single  farthing. 
He  was  one  of  the  ablest  and  calmest  men  who 
appeared  in  the  assemblies  of  the  period. 

But  the  attitude  and  the  claims  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland  were  misunderstood  and  misrepresented  in 
Parliament.  On  7th  and  8th  of  March,  1843,  a  debate 
in  the  House  of  Commons  took  place  on  the  Church 
of  Scotland's  Claim  of  Right.  The  subject  was  intro- 
duced by  Mr.  Fox  Maule,  in  a  very  clear  and  able 
speech.    Sir  James  Graham  followed  with  a  rambling 


CHURCH  OF  SCOTLAND'S  CLAIM  OF  RIGHT.  301 

harangue,  in  which  he  asserted  in  the  most  dogmatic 
style  that  the  Claims  of  the  Church  of  Scotland  were 
opposed  to  law,  to  order,  and  to  common  sense,  "  and 
therefore  the  sooner  that  the  House  extinguished 
them  the  better."  Others  spoke  in  favour  and  against 
the  claims  of  the  Church.  But  the  Prime  Minister, 
Sir  Robert  Peel,  was  vehemently  opposed  to  her 
claims,  although  it  is  very  evident  that  he  had  not 
taken  the  trouble  to  understand  them.  He  solemnly 
declared  that  the  Church,  in  its  proceedings  against 
the  Strathbogie  ministers,  had  laid  claim  to  greater 
powers  than  ever  were  advanced,  even  before  the 
Reformation,  by  the  Church  of  Rome.  Touching 
the  question  of  the  limits  of  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
powers,  he  thought  that  this  should  be  determined 
by  the  English  law  lords.  On  a  division  the 
motion  was  rejected  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  ;  and  out  of  the  thirty-seven  Scotch 
members  who  were  present,  twenty-five  voted  in 
favour  of  the  motion.  Thus  the  British  Parliament 
rejected  the  Claim  of  Rights,  though  it  was  approved 
by  the  representatives  of  Scotland. 

On  April  5th  Lord  Campbell  introduced  five 
resolutions  in  the  House  of  Lords  of  the  following 
character : — 1.  That  the  House  of  Lords  was  de- 
sirous that  the  Church  of  Scotland  should  freely 
enjoy  her  rights,  government,  discipline,  and  privi- 
leges, according  to  law,  in  all  time  coming.  2.  That 
she  is  an  excellent  Church.  3.  That,  with  a  view  to 
heal  the  unhappy  dissensions  prevailing,  this  House 
is  of  opinion  that  the  demands  of  the  Church  should 
be  conceded  by  the  Legislature,  in  so  far  as  they  can 


302 


RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENTS. 


be  safely  conceded  ;  and  that  when  any  measure  for 
correcting  the  alleged  abuses  of  patronage  shall  be 
constitutionally  brought  before  this  House,  this  House 
will  favourably  entertain  the  same,  and  anxiously 
endeavour  that  the  end  of  the  said  measure  may  be 
attained.  4.  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  House  the 
demand  that  patronage  should  be  abolished  as  a 
grievance  is  unreasonable  and  unfounded,  and  ought 
not  to  be  conceded.  5.  That  the  demand  of  the  Church 
that  the  law  should  be  so  framed  as  to  give  her 
courts  absolute  authority  in  every  case,  to  define  the 
limits  of  their  own  jurisdiction,  without  any  power  in 
any  civil  court  in  any  way  to  question  or  interfere 
with  her  proceedings  or  decrees,  although  they  may 
exceed  their  jurisdiction,  is  unprecedented  in  any 
Christian  Church  since  the  Reformation,  is  inconsis- 
tent with  the  permanent  welfare  of  the  Church,  and 
the  existence  of  subordinate  and  good  government 
of  the  country. 

In  the  debate  the  speakers  maintained  that  no 
redress  should  be  given  until  the  Church  obeyed  the 
existing  law.  Lord  Brougham  said,  "  he  would  not 
be  a  party  to  the  suicidal,  to  the  self-destructive  folly, 
of  giving  men  new  laws  to  break  until  they  consented 
to  obey  the  old  law."  Referring  to  Lord  Aberdeen, 
he  said,  "  his  noble  friend  who  seemed  to  be  a  non- 
intrusionist.  What  ?  Would  he  have  that  principle 
not  only  established  in  Scotland,  but  carried  south  of 
the  Tweed  ?  Would  he  have  it  eat  into  our  English 
system  ?  Would  he  seek,  by  means  of  it,  to  destroy 
our  Erastianism  ?  "  Such  was  the  twaddle  vented  in 
the  House  of  Lords  ;  not  a  glimpse  of  what  was  due 
to  the  people  of  Scotland  entered  their  minds. 


FAREWELL  SERMONS.     ASSEMBLY  OF  1 843.  30j 

The  popular  party  were  everywhere  preparing  to 
leave  the  Establishment,  as  it  was  now  hopeless  to 
prolong  the  contest.  The  forethought,  the  syste- 
matic order,  the  discipline  of  the  rank  and  file  of  the 
clergy,  and  the  completeness  of  all  their  arrangements, 
were  really  wonderful.  The  final  scene  of  leaving  the 
Establishment  presented  the  characteristics  of  the 
closing  act  of  a  noble  and  well-played  drama. 

On  the  two  Sundays  before  the  meeting  of  the 
assembly,  many  congregations  throughout  the 
country  were  deeply  affected  by  farewell  sermons 
from  the  ministers  to  whom  they  were  warmly 
attached.  It  was  well  known  that  a  startling  move 
was  to  be  made,  but  the  uncertainty  of  its  form 
and  extent  caused  an  anxiety  and  uneasiness  of  feel- 
ing unexampled  since  the  Union.  How  would  the 
royal  commissioner  act  ?  Would  he  dissolve  the 
assembly?  Or  would  he  recognise  the  minority  as 
constituting  it  ? 

The  assembly  met  on  the  1 8th  of  May,  1843. 
Dr.  Welsh  of  Edinburgh  opened  the  proceedings,  and 
delivered  a  sermon  in  St.  Giles,  in  which  he  announced 
what  was  going  to  happen.  He  then  proceeded  to 
St.  Andrew's  Church,  where  the  assembly  was  to  be 
held,  and  took  his  place  in  the  Moderator's  chair; 
and  a  few  minutes  later  the  royal  commissioner 
entered.  The  church  was  crowded,  and  Dr.  Welsh 
rose  and  engaged  in  prayer.  After  the  members  had 
resumed  their  seats,  he  again  rose,  and  announced  : — 
"  That  in  consequence  of  certain  proceedings  affecting 
their  rights  and  privileges,  which  had  been  sanctioned 
by  the  Government  of  the  country  ;  and  more  espe- 


FINAL  SCENE. 


305 


dally  seeing  that  there  had  been  an  infringement  on 
the  liberties  of  the  constitution  of  the  Church,  so  that 
they  could  not  constitute  this  court  without  violating 
the  terms  of  the  union  between  the  Church  and 
the  State  in  this  nation,  therefore  I  protest  against 
our  proceeding  further/'  Amidst  profound  silence 
and  intense  alarm  on  the  opposition  benches,  he  read 
the  protest,  which  fully  explained  the  grounds  of  the 
step  they  were  about  to  take.  When  he  had  finished 
reading  it,  he  handed  it  to  the  clerk  at  the  table, 
bowed  to  the  royal  commissioner,  quitted  the  chair, 
lifted  his  hat,  and  walked  away.  Instantly  Dr. 
Chalmers,  Dr.  Gordon,  and  the  whole  of  those  in  the 
left  side  of  the  church,  rose  and  followed  him.  Up- 
wards of  two  hundred  ministers  walked  out,  and 
they  were  joined  outside  by  three  hundred  clergymen 
and  other  adherents. 

Dr.  Welsh  wore  his  Moderator's  dress,  and  when  he 
appeared  on  the  street,  and  the  people  saw  that  prin- 
ciple had  risen  above  interest,  shouts  of  triumph  rent 
the  air  such  has  had  not  been  heard  in  Edinburgh 
since  the  days  of  the  Covenant.  They  walked  through 
Hanover  Street  to  Canonmills,  where  a  large  hall  was 
erected  for  the  reception  of  the  disestablished  assem- 
bly. They  elected  Dr.  Chalmers  moderator,  and 
formed  the  first  General  Assembly  of  "The  Free 
Church  of  Scotland."  Four  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  ministers  left  the  Establishment  in  1843  \  they 
were  also  joined  by  two  hundred  probationers,  nearly 
one  hundred  theological  students  of  the  University  of 
Edinburgh,  three-fourths  of  those  in  Glasgow,  and  a 
majority  of  those  in  Aberdeen. 

The  Disruption  was  an  accomplished  fact.    I  call  it 


306 


RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENTS. 


a  revolution  of  a  high  character,  as  it  was  effected 
without  violence  or  bloodshed.  It  was  an  event 
charged  with  a  moral  power  of  vast  import,  which 
could  not  fail  to  produce  beneficial  results.  The  Free 
Church  commenced  her  work  with  vigour  and  earnest- 
ness, and  her  success  from  the  first  has  been  remark- 
able. 

The  Established  Church  for  a  time  was  greatly 
crippled,  and  her  pre-eminence  has  not  been  restored, 
although  she  has  worked  steadily  and  well,  and  ex- 
tended her  lines  considerably.  The  Roman  Catholics 
in  recent  years  have  relatively  increased  more  than 
any  other  denomination  ;  and  the  hierarchy  was 
restored  in  Scotland  in  1878.  Toleration  and  freedom 
of  thought  have  made  almost  incredible  progress  in 
Scotland  within  the  last  fifty  years  ;  and  no  one  need 
now  be  afraid  to  announce  his  opinions  and  senti- 
ments if  he  has  anything  to  tell  worth  attention. 


XX. 

MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 

The  political  and  religious  contests  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  were  extremely  unfavourable  to  literary 
culture.  In  the  succeeding  century  circumstances 
became  more  propitious,  and  greater  literary  activity 
was  displayed.  Style  was  made  a  special  object  of 
study.  The  critical  examination  of  historical  evi- 
dence began  to  be  recognised,  and  the  real  requisites 
of  historical  inquiry  better  appreciated  and  under- 
stood. 

David  Hume  was  filled  with  a  passionate  love  of 
literary  fame,  and  turned  aside  from  his  philosophical 
speculations  to  try  his  skill  in  historic  compo- 
sition. His  "  History  of  Great  Britain,"  which  ex- 
tended to  six  volumes,  was  at  first  bitterly  assailed  by 
the  Whigs  of  the  day  ;  but  it  soon  became  popular, 
new  editions  appeared  in  rapid  succession,  and  he  was 
placed  in  the  front  rank  of  English  historians.  Al- 
though he  was  highly  gifted  and  well  qualified  to 
estimate  every  kind  of  historical  evidence,  he  allowed 
himself  to  fall  into  some  mistakes  and  inconsistencies. 
He  was  constitutionally  disqualified  from  forming  fair 


308       MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 


and  just  opinions  on  the  Covenanting  struggle  and 
the  period  of  the  persecution,  or  from  realising  the 
position  of  his  suffering  countrymen.  While  he  shows 
a  lamentable  deficiency  in  appreciating  many  of  the 
genuine  influences  of  the  seventeenth  century,  yet  on 
other  occasions  the  views  of  conflicting  parties  are 


hume's  grave. 


grasped  and  presented  with  rare  power  and  fairness. 
His  form  of  narration  is  admirable.  He  fully 
recognised  the  importance  of  culture,  and  devoted 
certain  portions  of  his  history  to  it.  His  style  is 
exceedingly  clear,  easy,  graceful,  and  polished. 


ROBERTSON,  TYTLER,  ALISON,  BURTON.  309 

Dr.  William  Robertson,  a  minister  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland,  attained  a  wide  reputation  as  a  historian. 
His  chief  works  are  the  "  History  of  Scotland,"  and 
"  History  of  the  Reign  of  Charles  V.  of  Spain."  He 
shows  considerable  realistic  power  and  good  judg- 
ment. The  historic  works  of  Hume  and  Robertson 
formed  an  era  in  Scotch  literature ;  they  cleared  the 
ground  and  swept  in  front  of  all  their  British  prede- 
cessors: insomuch,  that  Gibbon  who  followed,  only 
wished  to  rank  with  them — "The  perfect  composi- 
tion, the  nervous  language,  and  the  well-turned 
periods  of  Dr.  Robertson,  inflamed  me  to  the  am- 
bitious hope  that  I  might  one  day  tread  in  his  foot- 
steps." 

Patrick  F.  Tytler  was  the  author  of  a  "  History  of 
Scotland,"  and  many  other  works,  chiefly  of  a  bio- 
graphical character.  His  "  History  of  Scotland" 
evinces  much  original  research  and  great  industry. 
His  style  is  plain  and  animated,  but  somewhat  diffuse. 

Sir  Archibald  Alison's  "  History  of  Europe,"  which 
covers  the  period  from  the  commencement  of  the 
French  Revolution  to  the  accession  of  Napoleon  in 
1852,  has  some  historic  merit,  and  has  been  translated 
into  most  of  the  European  languages.  His  mastery 
of  arrangement  was  creditable,  his  narration  fresh 
and  animated,  and  his  description  realistic  and 
interesting. 

Dr.  John  H.  Burton  produced  a  large  number  of 
works,  chiefly  on  legal,  biographical,  and  historical 
subjects ;  most  of  which  were  valuable  and  interest- 
ing contributions  to  the  literature  of  Scotland.  His 
longest  work  is  the  "  History  of  Scotland,"  from 


310        MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 

Agricola's  invasion  to  the  suppression  of  the  rising  in 
1745.  One  °f  his  latest  efforts  w^ls  a  "History  of 
the  Reign  of  Queen  Anne."  He  was  an  able,  an 
instructive,  and  an  indefatigable  writer. 

The  works  of  Thomas  Carlyle  extend  over  various 
fields  of  literature,  translations  from  the  German, 
critical  essays,  political  and  satirical  pamphlets,  bio- 
graphy, and  history.     He  is  the  author  of  many 


THOMAS  CARLYLE/ 


volumes,  and  commands  the  attention  and  admiration 
of  a  large  body  of  readers.  His  chief  works  in  the 
historic  branch  which  he  cultivated  were,  "The 
French  Revolution  ;  "  "  Oliver  Cromwell's  Letters  and 
Speeches;"  and  the  "  History  of  Frederick  II.,  called 
the  Great."  "  The  French  Revolution  99  is  the  best 
of  his  historic  works.     His  powers  of  description 


CARLYLE,  SKENE. 


311 


were  amazing,  and  he  presents  a  realistic  and  seething 
panorama  of  the  Revolution.  "  Frederick  II."  is  the 
longest  of  his  works,  and  extends  to  six  large  volumes. 
There  is  much  patient  research  in  it,  vivid  touches 
on  men  and  things,  sage  remarks,  and  humour,  fine 
descriptions  of  battle-fields  and  scenes ;  yet  it  is  not 
history  in  the  strict  sense,  it  is  merely  personal  bio- 
graphy, varied  and  enlivened  by  the  author's  rare 
genius  and  worship  of  power. 

Although  Carlyle  had  no  remarkable  analytic  facul- 
ties, as  a  historical  biographer  he  was  really  great. 
His  insight  of  character  and  power  of  seizing  reality, 
his  power  of  discerning  and  selecting  appropriate 
incidents  and  points,  enabled  him  to  shine  and  take 
the  first  rank  in  this  branch  of  literature.  Taking 
him  all  round,  he  was  a  real  genius,  a  sagacious  man, 
a  noble  and  brave  character. 

Dr.  W.  F.  Skene,  Historiographer  Royal  for  Scot- 
land, has  done  much  useful  historical  work.  He 
edited  the  collection  known  under  the  title  of  "  The 
Chronicles  of  the  Picts  and  Scots,"  to  which  he  pre- 
fixed an  able  introduction.  He  is  the  author  of  an 
admirable  44  History  of  Celtic  Scotland/'  which  was 
designed  to  ascertain  and  present  what  could  be  fairly 
extracted  from  the  early  authorities. 

A  transition  from  history  to  poetry  is  natural,  as  the 
two  branches  have  many  points  of  contact.  Allan 
Ramsay's  writings  were  pretty  various,  consisting  of 
comic  and  satirical  pieces,  pastoral  poems,  songs, 
fables,  and  tales.  His  tales  are  humorous,  but  rather 
indelicate.  Some  of  his  songs  are  still  favourites,  such 
as  44  Lochaber  no  More,"  and  44  The  Yellow  Haired 


312       MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 


Laddie."  His  greatest  effort  is  "  The  Gentle  Shep- 
herd," which  appeared  in  1725,  and  was  well  received. 
He  drew  his  shepherds  and  characters  from  real  life, 
placed  them  in  scenes  which  he  had  seen,  and  made 
them  utter  the  idiomatic  speech  of  their  own  native 
vales  and  hills.  His  skill  is  chiefly  shown  in  the 
selection       his  materials,  in  the  grouping  of  his 


THE  HOUSE  IN  BROAD  STREET,  ABERDEEN,  WHERE  BYRON 
LIVED  WHEN  A  BOY. 

natural  and  well-defined  characters,  and  in  the  clear 
conception  and  elaboration  of  an  interesting  and 
romantic  plot.  Ramsay  had  many  of  the  qualities  of 
the  real  poet — imagination,  the  elaborative  faculty, 
passion,  humour,  and  pathos. 

James  Thomson,  author  of  "  The  Seasons,"  "  The 


THOMSON)  FERGUSSON. 


3*3 


Castle  of  Indolence,"  and  other  poems,  when  a  very 
young  man  proceeded  to  London  to  pursue  his  for- 
tune, and  after  a  hard  struggle  died  in  1748,  in 
the  prime  of  life  when  he  was  working  to  his 
mental  strength.  His  genius  was  luxuriant,  glowing, 
and  enthusiastic,  and  needed  discipline.  His  feelings 
were  warm  and  wide,  embracing  all  mankind  ;  his 
love  of  nature  was  intense ;  and  his  heart  and  soul 
throbbed  with  humanity. 


THE  COTTAGE  WHERE  BURNS  WAS  BORN. 


Omitting  many  other  poets  of  some  note,  I  come 
to  Robert  Fergusson,  a  native  of  Edinburgh,  who 
died  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  his  age  in  1774. 
His  chief  characteristics  were  a  keen  sense  of  the 
ludicrous,  a  strong  vein  of  original  comic  humour,  and 
a  copious  command  of  expressive  language.  Burns 
had  an  excessive  admiration  for  the  effusions  of  Fer- 
gusson and  preferred  them  to  Ramsay's.    A  few 


314       MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 


lines  from  his  piece,  "  Cauler  Water,"  may  indicate 
why  Burns  admired  him  : — 

"  When  father  Adie  first  pat  spade  in 
The  bonny  yard  o'  ancient  Edin, 
His  army  had  nae  liquor  laid  in 

To  fire  his  mou. 
Nor  did  he  thole  his  wife's  upbraidin', 

For  bein'  fou. 


His  bairns  had  a'  before  the  flood, 
A  langer  tack  o'  flesh  and  blood, 
And  on  mair  pithy  shanks  they  stood 

Than  Noah's  line, 
Wha  still  hae  been  a  feckless  brood, 

Wi'  drinkin'  wine. 
The  fuddlin'  bardies,  nowadays, 
Rin  maukin  wad  in  Bacchus'  praise." 

The  first  edition  of  Burns's  poems  was  published 
in  1786  ;  and  other  three  editions  appeared  in  his 
lifetime.  Since  his  death  ninety-three  years  ago, 
upwards  of  three  hundred  editions  of  his  poems  have 
been  published.  His  influence  on  the  imaginative 
literature  of  Scotland  has  been  deep  and  abiding. 
The  satirical  and  comic  features  of  many  of  his 
poems  have  had  a  most  beneficial  effect  upon  the 
sentiments  of  the  people  ;  as  in  conjunction  with 
other  influences,  they  have  enlightened  their  minds, 
and  enabled  them  to  banish  from  their  breasts  a 
host  of  delusive  and  absurd  fears.  Touching  liberty 
and  independence,  Burns's  writings  were  clear  and 
emphatic.  His  own  manly  and  independent  spirit 
shows  itself  in  his  poems  and  has  had  much  effect 


ROBERT  BURNS. 

(From  the  Portrait  by  Nasmyth.) 


316        MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 

on  the  nation.  (i  The  Tree  of  Liberty,"  and  "  A  Man's 
a  Man  for  a'  that,"  were  not  written  in  vain. 

Thomas  Campbell's  "  Pleasures  of  Hope  "  appeared 
in  1799,  when  he  was  in  his  twenty-first  year.  The 
poem  was  immediately  successful.  It  attracted  many 
readers  by  its  fine  melody,  polished  style,  and  the 
generous  sentiments  which  pervaded  it.  His  short 
poems,  and  songs  have  been  much  admired,  and  some 
of  the  latter  are  popular  favourites.  His  "  Specimens 
of  British  Poets/'  with  biographical  and  critical 
notices,  published  in  181 8,  is  of  much  value;  his 
criticisms  are  exceedingly  just  and  interesting,  and 
presented  in  a  fine  polished  style. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  was  a  versatile  genius,  and  attained 
distinction  as  a  poet,  a  novelist,  and  in  other  branches 
of  literature.  From  his  childhood,  he  was  a  student 
of  the  ballad  lore,  the  traditions,  and  superstitions 
of  Scotland.  His  first  independent  poetic  effort 
appeared  in  1805,  under  the  title  of  the  "  Lay  of  the 
Last  Minstrel."  It  was  very  popular,  and  he  was 
placed  in  the  front  rank  of  living  poets.  In  1808,  his 
poem  of  "  Marmion "  was  issued  ;  and  followed  at 
short  intervals  by  six  or  seven  volumes  of  poetry. 
The  "  Lady  of  the  Lake  "  was  the  most  popular  of 
his  poems,  and  in  a  few  months  twenty  thousand 
copies  were  sold.  Though  some  of  his  poems  are 
still  read,  they  are  not  nearly  so  popular  as  his  novels. 
Within  a  limited  range  of  poetic  conceptions  which 
embraced  an  elaboration  of  past  events  and  incidents, 
traditions  and  popular  belief,  Scott's  poetry  had 
merits  of  its  own ;  but  it  lacked  the  glow  of  internal 
emotion,  and  that  poetic  fire  generated  in  the  mind 
and  elaborated  by  intellectual  energy. 


SIR  WALTER  SCOTT. 


318        MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 

James  Hogg,  a  native  of  the  vale  of  Ettrick,  is 
best  known  by  his  poetic  name  of  "The  Ettrick 
Shepherd."  He  was  sent  to  service  when  a  boy,  and 
received  little  education.  But  his  mother  had  a  habit 
of  reciting  legends  and  singing  ballads,  and  many  of 
her  son's  evenings  in  childhood  were  occupied  in 
listening  to  her.  He  became  an  ardent  reader  of 
poetry  and  romances,  and  devoured  the  contents  of 
a  circulating  library  in  Peebles.  He  assisted  Sir 
Walter  Scott  in  collecting  ballads  for  the  "  Minstrelsy 
of  the  Border." 

Hogg's  first  volume  of  songs  and  short  pieces 
appeared  in  1801.  He  acquired  a  facility  of  imitating 
the  style  of  the  old  ballads  ;  and  in  1807,  he  published 
"  The  Mountain  Bard,"  a  volume  of  songs  and  poems. 
His  legendary  poem  entitled  "  The  Queen's  Wake " 
appeared  in  181 3.  It  consists  of  a  number  of  tales 
and  ballads  supposed  to  be  sung  to  Queen  Mary  of 
Scots  by  the  native  bards  assembled  at  a  royal  wake 
in  Holyrood,  to  show  the  fair  Queen  "  the  wondrous 
powers  of  Scottish  song."  The  effort  was  well 
conceived  and  elaborated,  and  placed  Hogg  high  in 
the  rank  of  Scotch  poets.  At  the  end  of  it  he 
adverted  to  an  advice  which  Scott  had  once  given  him 
to  abstain  from  his  worship  of  poetry  : — 

"  Even  fairies  sought  our  land  again 
So  powerful  was  his  magic  strain. 

Blest  be  his  generous  heart  for  aye  ; 
He  told  me  where  the  relic  lay ; 
Pointed  my  way  with  ready  will 
Afar  on  Ettrick's  wildest  hill ; 
Watched  my  first  notes  with  curious  eye, 
And  wondered  at  my  minstrelsy : 


HOGG,  THE  ETTRICK  SHEPHERD.  319 


He  little  weened  a  parent's  tongue 
Such  strains  had  o'er  my  cradle  sung. 

But  when  to  native  feelings  true, 
I  struck  upon  a  chord  was  new  ; 
When  by  myself  I  'gan  to  play, 
He  tried  to  wile  my  harp  away. 
Just  when  her  notes  began  with  skill, 
To  sound  beneath  the  southern  hill, 
And  twine  around  my  bosom's  core, 
How  could  we  part  for  evermore  ? 
'Twas  kindness  all — I  cannot  blame — 
For  bootless  is  the  minstrel  flame  : 
But  sure  a  bard  might  well  have  known 
Another's  feelings  by  his  own." 

Hogg  produced  many  works.  "  The  Mador  of  the 
Moor,"  a  poem  in  the  Spenserian  stanza ;  "  The 
Pilgrims  of  the  Sun,"  in  blank  verse  ;  u  Queen 
Hynde  ; "  "  Dramatic  Tales  ;  "  several  novels  ;  and 
"  Jacobite  Relics."  He  was  an  able  and  veritable 
genius.  His  imaginative  and  reproductive  faculties 
were  high,  his  sympathies  wide,  and  his  powers  of 
realisation  rarely  excelled.  There  are  passages  in  his 
writings  which  few  poets  have  ever  surpassed.  The 
following  lines  are  from  his  verses  to  the  Comet  of 
181 1  :— 

u  How  lovely  is  this  wildered  scene, 

As  twilight  from  her  vaults  so  blue, 
Steals  soft  o'er  Yarrow's  mountains  green, 

To  sleep  embalmed  in  midnight  dew  ? 
All  hail,  ye  hills,  whose  towering  height, 

Like  shadows,  scoops  the  yielding  sky  ! 
And  thou,  mysterious  guest  of  night, 

Dread  traveller  of  immensity. 
Stranger  of  heaven  !    I  bid  thee  hail ! 

Shred  from  the  pall  of  glory  riven, 
That  flashest  in  celestial  gale, 

Broad  pennon  of  the  King  of  heaven. 


320       MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 


Art  thou  the  flag  of  woe  and  death, 

From  angel's  ensign  staff  unfurled  ? 
Art  thou  the  standard  of  His  wrath 

Waved  o'er  a  sordid,  sinful  world? 

•  •  •  •  •  • 

Whate'er  protends  thy  front  of  fire, 

Thy  streaming  locks  so  lovely  pale— 
Or  peace  to  man,  or  judgment  dire, 

Stranger  of  heaven,  I  bid  thee  hail ! 

O  on  thy  rapid  prow  to  glide  ; 

To  sail  the  boundless  skies  with  thee, 
And  plough  the  twinkling  stars  aside, 

Like  foambells  on  a  tranquil  sea ; 
To  brush  the  embers  from  the  sun, 

The  icicles  from  off  the  pole  ; 
Then  far  to  other  systems  run, 

Where  other  moons  and  planets  roll." 

It  may  be  mentioned  that  the  number  of  Scotch 
poets  whose  names  have  been  ascertained  exceeds 
two  thousand.  In  the  Mitchell  Library  of  Glasgow 
there  are  upwards  of  six  thousand  volumes  of 
Scottish  poetry  and  verse. 

Turning  to  the  region  of  fiction,  some  of  Dr. 
Smollett's  novels,  which  appeared  in  the  middle  of 
the  last  century,  are  still  read.  His  "  Roderick  Ran- 
dom "  was  long  a  popular  favourite.  The  taste  and 
moral  tone  of  Smollett's  fiction  is  not  of  an  elevated 
character  ;  but  he  had  inventive  power,  native 
humour,  and  a  wide  range  of  knowledge.  Between 
him  and  Scott  there  were  a  number  of  Scotch 
novelists,  but  the  scale  of  this  volume  cannot  admit 
of  particularising  them. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  was  a  man  of  wonderful  and  un- 
tiring industry.     The  quantity  and  variety  of  his 


3" 


MODERX  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 


works  exceed  that  of  any  Scotch  writer,  although 
both  in  thought  and  style  he  has  been  frequently 
excelled  in  special  branches  of  literature.  In  the 
field  of  the  historic  novel  and  romance  of  bygone 
centuries,  drawn  from  the  customs,  the  manners,  the 
notions,  and  the  superstitions  of  the  Scottish  people, 
Scott  is  unrivalled.  His  strength  mainly  lay  in  a 
facility  of  reproducing  pictures  and  representations 
of  the  external  action  and  superstition  of  past 
generations,  and  skill  in  weaving  these  into  attractive 
and  interesting  stories.  His  novels  have  been  ex- 
ceedingly popular.  Many  millions  of  them  have 
been  sold.  The  moral  tone  of  his  fiction  is  manly 
and  instructive  ;  but  its  original  aim  was  to  interest  and 
amuse  readers,  and  in  this  its  success  is  unmatched. 

John  Gait  was  a  contemporary  of  Scott,  and  the 
author  of  a  long  list  of  novels,  tales,  and  various 
writings.  He  had  great  energy,  but  his  genius  was 
crippled  by  adverse  circumstances.  His  life  was  one 
hard  struggle,  in  which  his  brave  spirit  and  warm 
heart  never  failed.  In  the  perception  of  motive  and 
character  he  was  unsurpassed.  But  his  taste  was 
defective.  The  most  popular  of  his  novels  were  the 
"Wandering  Jew,"  the  ''Ayrshire  Legatees,"  and  the 
"  Annals  of  the  Parish." 

John  Wilson,  "Christopher  North,"  was  professor 
of  moral  philosophy  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh 
from  1820  till  his  death  in  1854,  and  was  one  of  the 
leading  contributors  to  Blackwood's  Magazine  in  its 
palmy  days.  Some  of  his  tales  contain  touching 
pictures  and  interesting  scenes.  He  also  wrote  verse, 
but  attained  no  distinction  as  a  poet. 


LORD  KAMES,  LORD  ERSKINE. 


323 


Miscellaneous  literature  would  take  in  many  names 
of  note,  but  only  a  few  can  be  mentioned.  The 
religious  literature  of  Scotland,  in  the  form  of  ser- 
mons and  hortative  discourses,  is  large  ;  but  in  the 
department  of  theology  there  are  few  works  of  much 
authority,  and  till  recently  there  was  not  the  slightest 
necessity  for  them.  For  the  religious  differences 
among  the  Scots  were  not  concerning  the  existence 
and  attributes  of  God,  or  the  fundamental  doctrines 
of  Christianity,  but  chiefly  about  forms  of  Church 
government  and  the  powers  of  the  Established 
Church,  and  the  rights  of  congregations  in  relation  to 
their  ministers.  Hence  the  characteristics  of  the 
religious  literature  of  the  nation. 

Henry  Home,  Lord  Karnes,  was  called  to  the 
Scotch  bar  in  1732,  and  in  1752  was  raised  to  the 
bench.  He  became  a  distinguished  member  of  the 
literary  circles  of  Edinburgh,  a  warm  patron  of  litera- 
ture, and  of  every  movement  calculated  to  promote  the 
prosperity  and  civilisation  of  the  nation.  His  writings 
were  numerous,  and  treated  of  law,  morality,  religion, 
and  other  subjects.  His  "  Elements  of  Criticism,"  if 
considered  as  an  attempt  to  investigate  the  principles 
of  the  fine  arts  as  results  of  the  operation  of  the  mind, 
has  merits,  though  it  has  many  defects.  The  subject 
is  difficult,  and  he  was  among  the  first  to  essay  its 
explanation  in  modern  times.  His  "  Sketches  of 
Man  "  contain  some  curious  facts,  pregnant  hints,  and 
acute  reflections  on  society. 

Thomas,  Lord  Erskine,  the  youngest  son  of  the 
Earl  of  Buchan,  served  both  in  the  army  and  navy, 
but  resigned  his  commission,  and  turned  to  the  study 


324        MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 


of  law,  and  was  called  to  the  English  bar  in  his 
twenty-eighth  year.  He  soon  attained  a  good  posi- 
tion, and  entered  Parliament  as  member  for  Ports- 
mouth in  1783.  In  1806  he  was  appointed  Lord 
Chancellor,  but  he  had  to  retire  on  the  dissolution  of 
the  Whig  Government  in  the  spring  of  1807.  He 
published  in  1817  a  political  fragment,  entitled, 
"Armata,"  which  contains  some  good  remarks  on 
constitutional  law  and  history. 

Dr.  Thomas  Chalmers  was  the  most  distinguished 
of  Scotch  divines  of  the  early  part  of  this  century. 
Prior  to  the  Disruption  he  led  the  popular  party  in 
the  General  Assemblies  of  the  Church.  He  was  a 
popular  preacher,  delivered  his  sermons  with  intense 
earnestness,  energy,  and  vehemence.  He  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  chair  of  divinity  in  the  University  of 
Edinburgh  in  1828,  but  he  relinquished  it  in  1843. 

His  collected  works  extend  to  thirty-four  volumes, 
and  treat  of  a  wide  range  of  subjects — theology, 
evidences  of  Christianity,  moral  philosophy,  political 
economy,  astronomical  discourses,  sermons,  and  other 
subjects.  The  chief  characteristics  of  his  writings 
were  earnestness,  energy,  and  profuse  illustration. 
His  knowledge  was  comprehensive  and  varied,  both 
in  literature  and  in  science.  He  had  also  an  unusually 
accurate  appreciation  of  the  feelings,  the  habits,  and 
daily  life  of  the  people,  which  was  the  main  source  of 
his  influence  over  the  nation.  In  method  and  style 
his  writings  were  defective.  His  usual  mode  of  exposi- 
tion was  to  present  his  main  theme  or  idea  in  a  variety 
of  forms  and  from  different  points  of  view,  with  the 
aim  of  impressing  it  on  the  mind  of  his  hearers. 


LORD  JEFFREY. 


325 


Lord  Jeffrey  was  called  to  the  Scotch  bar  in  1794. 
He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  The  Edinburgh 
Review,  which  appeared  in  October,  1802,  and 
from  1803  to  1829  was  its  editor  and  manager. 
In  its  pages  he  found  ample  scope  for  his  political 
opinions,  and  his  literary  and  critical  faculties.  The 
Review  contributed  much  to  raise  the  standard  of 
criticism  in  Britain,  and  to  advance  more  liberal 
principles  in  politics.  Jeffrey  collected  the  most 
important  of  his  own  contributions  to  the  Review, 
and  published  them  in  1844,  in  four  volumes,  since 
reprinted  in  one.  His  articles  and  criticisms  embraced 
poetry,  literature,  and  moral  science.  As  a  critic  he 
showed  sound  judgment,  good  taste,  and  an  elevated 
tone  ;  although  occasionally  in  the  early  numbers  of 
the  Review  he  was  harsh  and  severe.  In  poetic 
criticism  he  sometimes  failed  to  appreciate  the 
genuine  merits  of  his  author.  I  present  a  short 
specimen  of  his  style  on  the  prevailing  notion  that 
genius  is  a  source  of  peculiar  unhappiness  to  its 
possessor : — "  Men  of  truly  great  powers  of  mind 
have  generally  been  cheerful,  social,  and  indulgent ; 
while  a  tendency  to  sentimental  whining  or  fierce 
intolerance  may  be  ranked  among  the  surest  symptoms 
of  little  souls  and  inferior  intellects.  In  the  whole  list 
of  our  English  poets  we  can  only  remember  Shenstone 
and  Savage — two,  certainly  of  the  lowest — who  were 
querulous  and  discontented.  Cowley,  indeed,  used  to 
call  himself  melancholy  ;  but  he  was  not  in  earnest, 
and,  at  any  rate,  was  full  of  conceits  and  affectations, 
and  has  nothing  to  make  us  proud  of  him.  Shake- 
speare, the  greatest  of  them  all,  was  evidently  of  a  free 


326        MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 

and  joyous  temperament,  and  so  was  Chaucer  their 
common  master.  The  same  disposition  appears  to 
have  predominated  in  Fletcher,  Jonson,  and  their 
great  contemporaries.  The  genius  of  Milton  partook 
something  of  the  austerity  of  the  party  to  which  he 
belonged,  and  of  the  controversies  in  which  he  was 


HOUSE  OF  JAMIESON,  THE  SCOTCH  VANDYCK,  AT  ABERDEEN. 

{Lately  demolished.) 

involved  ;  but  even  when  fallen  on  evif  days  and  evil 
tongues,  his  spirit  seems  to  have  retained  its  serenity, 
as  well  as  its  dignity  ;  and  in  his  private  life,  as  well 
as  in  his  poetry,  the  majesty  of  a  high  character  is 
tempered  with  great  sweetness,  genial  indulgences, 
and  practical  wisdom.     In  the  succeeding  age  our 


DR.  TULLOCH. 


327 


poets  were  but  too  gay  ;  and  though  we  forbear  to 
speak  of  living  authors,  we  know  enough  of  them  to 
say  with  confidence,  that  to  be  miserable  or  to  be 
hated  is  not  now,  any  more  than  heretofore,  the  com- 
mon lot  of  those  who  excel. " 

Dr.  John  Tulloch  was  the  author  of  a  number  of 
works,  chiefly  theological  and  historical.  His  first 
notable  effort  was  a  treatise  on  Theism  which  received 
one  of  the  Burnett  prizes  in  1855.  His  most  elabo- 
rate work  is  "  Rational  Theology  and  Christian 
Philosophy  of  England  in  the  Seventeenth  Century." 
Its  method  is  historic  and  expositive,  and  it  is  full  of 
instruction  and  interest.  Dr.  Tulloch  contemplated 
writing  the  modern  history  of  Scotland,  and  had 
made  some  progress  in  preparing  materials  in  1877; 
but  unhappily  he  did  not  live  to  finish  it.  For 
several  years  he  edited  Preiser's  Magazine^  and  con- 
tributed to  its  pages  various  critical  and  literary 
articles.  His  style  is  clear,  easy,  polished,  and 
flowing,  but  rather  lacking  in  strength.  In  describing 
individual  men  and  their  opinions  his  expression  is 
often  exceedingly  fine  and  happy. 

In  conclusion,  this  story  has  necessarily  been  brief. 
But  the  origin  and  the  long  and  chequered  career  of 
the  nation  have  been  indicated  in  a  connected  form. 
It  may  fitly  be  added,  that  during  the  past  hundred 
and  fifty  years  the  nation  has  made  vast  progress  in 
almost  every  department  of  industry,  science,  and 
art.  Many  entirely  new  industries  have  been 
created  and  developed.  Medical  schools  have  been 
instituted  and  organised,  which  have  attained  a  high 
and  wide  reputation.    A  school  of  mental  philosophy 


328        MODERN  LITERATURE  OF  SCOTLAND. 

was  founded  by  Francis  Hutcheson  in  the  second  quar- 
ter of  the  last  century,  which  embraces  in  its  roll  the 
names  of  Hume,  Adam  Smith,  Reid,  Stewart,  Camp- 
bell, Brown,  Mackintosh,  Hamilton,  Ferrier,  Bain,  and 
many  others.  The  efforts  of  the  Scotch  school  were 
mainly  concentrated  on  psychology — the  explanation 
of  the  human  mind,  and  moral  and  political  science. 
The  works  which  have  emanated  from  it  contain  a 
body  of  doctrines  and  reflections  which  are  well  worth 
careful  study  and  examination.  For,  after  all,  the  mind 
alone  constitutes  the  glory  and  the  dignity  of  man. 
In  the  circle  of  fine  art  there  has  been  a  marked 
advance.  The  progress  of  painting  and  sculpture  has 
been  a  striking  feature  in  the  recent  history  of  the 
nation.  Schools  of  art  and  art  galleries  have  sprung 
into  existence  in  all  the  chief  centres  of  population  in 
the  kingdom.  Let  us  hope  that  the  culture  of  art 
shall  be  still  more  widely  diffused,  and  the  avenues  of 
elevated  feeling  and  refined  enjoyment  expanded. 


INDEX. 


A 

Aberdeen,  31,  51,  141,  168,  169, 
264,  269,  300 ;  University  of, 
founded,  104 

Aberdeen,  Lord,  302 

Abernethy,  25,  31 

Agricola's  invasion,  3-6 

Albany,  Robert,  Duke  of,  78,  81, 
82 ;  Murdoch,  83-85 ;  Alex- 
ander, 98,  99 ;  John,  regent,  106 

Alexander  I.,  26-28 

Alexander  II.,  36-37 

Alexander  III.,  37-41 

Airth,  Friar  William,  108-HO 

Alison,  309 

Anderson,  William,  120 
Angus,  chief,  29 

Angus,  Earl  of,  93-94;  Archibald, 
99;  George,  105,  106,  112,  115 

Anne,  Queen,  250,  255,  261 

Argyle,  8,  10,  16,  34,  37 

Argyle,  Earl  of,  130 ;  first  Mar- 
quis, 208,  214,  215 

Argyle,  Earl  of,  225,  227  ;  John, 
Duke  of,  253,  263 

Arran,  regent,  115,  123,  1 28 

Arran,  Stuart,  Earlof,  163, 164, 167 

Assembly,  General,  172,  177-179, 
196-198,  303-306 

Athole,  David,  Earl  of,  75 ; 
Walter,  87 

Athole,  Duke  of,  253,  258 

Ayrshire,  8,  127,  129,  219,  223 

B 

Badenoch,  10,  237 


Badenoch,  John  Corny n,  Lord  of, 

56,  57 
Baillie,  Robert,  211 
Balcanquhal,  Walter,  170 
Balfour,  James,  122 
Balfour,  John,  of  Burley,  221,  223 
Balfour,  Sir  James,  150,  155 
Baliol,  Edward,  74,  75 
Baliol,  King  John,  48,  49,  50,  51 
Ballads,  early,  31,  103,  125,  130 
Balmerino,  Lord,  193 
Bane,  Donald,  24,  61 
Bannockburn,  battle  of,  66-69 
Barbour,  John,  102 
Beaton,  Cardinal,  116,  118,  120, 

122 

Berwick,  31,  33,  37,  48,  49,  50, 

°5>  7o,  75*  99 
Black,  169 

Bothwell,  James,  Earl  of,  147,  149, 

150,  151-156 
Boyd,  Earl  of  Arran,  95,  97 
Boyd,  Lord,  95,  97 
Breadalbane,  Earl  of,  240,  241, 

242 

Brechin,  Round  Tower  of,  25  ; 

Castle  of,  5 1 
Brewers'  strike,  280 
Britons  of  Strathclyde,  8,  13,  22 
Bruce,  Edward,  66,  67 
Bruce,  reign  of,  60-73 
Bruce,  Robert,  Lord,  43,  46,  47, 

Brude,  king  of  the  Picts,  16 
Buchan,  Earl  of,  78 
Buchanan,  George,  174-176 


332 


INDEX. 


Burns,  314 
Burton,  309 

C 

Cameron  of  Lochiel,  241 
Cannon,  241 
Caledonians,  3-6,  8 
Caledonian  Canal,  287 
Canons,  125  ;  book  of,  181,  182, 
198 

Carham,  battle  of,  22 
Carlyle,  310 

Carmichael,  William,  221 
Carstairs,  236 

Cassillis,  Earl  of,  120,  159,  208 
Chalmers,  297,  305,  324 
Chambers,  88 

Charles,  Edward  Stuart,  265-270 
Charles  L,  180,  181,  185,  186, 188, 

192,  194,  195,   196,  198-202, 

204-206 

Charles  II.,  207,  208,  209,  212, 
215,  226 

Church,  ministers  ejected,  217  ; 
internal  struggles,  292-300 

Clergy,  contests  with  the  Govern- 
ment, 140-144,  165-167,  169- 
172,  177-179,  300-302 

Cochrane,  98 

Colin,  21 

Commissioners,  Union,  253-255 
Committees  of  Parliament,  199, 

204,  209,  214,  233 
Comyn,   clan,    37  ;  John,  Red 

Comyn,  assassinated,  61 
Constantine  I.,  20 
Constantine  II.,  21 
Constantine  III.,  22 
Convention  of  Estates,  231 
Cope,  Sir  John,  265,  267 
Covenant,    National,    192-194  ; 

Solemn  League  and  Covenant, 

203 

Covenanters,  198-206,  208,  209, 
218-220,  222-224,  226,  227, 
229,  233 

Craigellachie,  285 

Crawford,  Earl  of,  92,  93,  214, 
236 

Crichton,  Sir  William,  chancellor, 
89,  91,  92 


Cromwell,  208,  209-2 1 1 
Culloden  Moor,  269 
Cupar,  221 

D 

Dalrymple,  Sir  John,  of  Stak,  241, 

242,  243 
Dalziel,  219 
Danes,  9,  10,  19,  25 
Darien  colony,  246-250 
Darly,  218 

Darnley,  142,  143,  144-147,  150 

David  I.,  28-34 

David  II.,  74,  76-77 

Denmark,  marriage  treaty,  95 

Dickson,  193 

Donald,  King,  20,  21 

Donald  Bane,  24,  61 

Douglas,  Earl  of,  murdered,  91 

Douglas,  Earl  of,  81 

Douglas,  William,  Earl  of,  stabbed 

by  the  king,  91,  92  ;  Earl  James, 

rebellion  of,  93,  94 
Drumclog,  223 
Dryburgh,  118 
Duff,  21 

Dumbarton,  8,  10,  161,  198 
Dumfries,  60-62,  93,   144,  167, 
219,  268 

Dunbar  Cattle,  50,  86,  149,  153, 
155,  156  ;  battle  of,  208 

Duncan,  King,  slain  by  Macbeth, 
22 

Duncan,  King,  24 
Dundee,  52,  53,  108,  141,  168, 
264 

Dundee,  Viscount,  231,  237-240 
Dunfermline,  46,  57,  73 
Dunkeld,  10,  19,  263,  285 
Dunnichin,  battle  of,  9 
Dunnotter,  21 
Dunsinnane,  23 
Durham,  battle  of,  76 
Durward,  Alan,  39,  41 

E 

Eadmer,  28 

Edgar,  King,  24,  26 

Edinburgh  annexed,  21  ;  burned 
by  the  English,  116-118, 
tumults  in,  169-172,  183-184, 
188-189,  230,  232-233 


INDEX. 


333 


Edinburgh  Castle,  50,  75,  91,  98, 
99,   135,   149,   155,  160,  161, 
198,  226,  232,  237,  267 
Education,  31,  104,  176,  243-246 
Edward  I.,  43,  44-49  ;  invasions, 
5°-5i>  53-54,  55.  56-59,  62-65 
Edward  II.,  invasions,  65,  66-69 
Edward  III.,  invasions,  75,  76 
Egfrid,  9 

Eglinton,  Earl  of,  153 
Elgin,  22,  51,  78,  93 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  134,  142,  159, 
173 

Episcopacy,  163,  165-167,  172, 

179,  198,  216,  234,  237 
Ere,  8 

Errol,  Earl  of,  168 
Erskine,  John,  of  Dun,  130 
Erskine,  Lord,  323 
Excommunication  of  Bruce,  70 

F 

Falkirk,  battle  of,  55,  268 
Falkland  Castle,  81 
Fergus  I.,  2 
Fergus,  chief,  34 
Fergusson,  313 

Feudalism,  26,  29,  31,  34,  36,  48, 
55 

Fife,  Earl  of,  24 

Fifeshire,  4,  10,  21,  116,  122,  221 
Firth  of  Forth,  4,  7,  8,  99 
Fletcher,  Sir  John,  214 
Fletcher  of  Saltoun,  251,  253 
Forfarshire,  10,  51 
Forfeited  estates,  278,  284 
France,  alliance,  50,  77,  100,112, 

116,  125 
Francis  II.,  134,  137 

G 

Galgacus,  4-6 

Galloway,  risings  in,  8,  29,  34,  36 
Gait,  John,  322 
Gasklune,  79 
Gilbert,  36 

Glasgow,  14,  15,  59,  150,  197, 
217,  219,  223,  268,  279 

Glencairn,  Earl  of,  120,  130,  144, 
158,  214 


Glencoe,  241-243 
Glenfinnan,  265 
Glengarry,  241,  242 
Glenlivet,  battle  of,  168,  169 
Gordon,  Duke  of,  231,  232,  237 
Gowrie,  Carse  of,  10 
Gowrie  conspiracy,  172-173 
Gowrie,  Earl  of,  164,  165 
Graham,  Sir  Robert,  87,  88 
Grayfriars  churchyard,  193,  194, 
224 

Grayfriars  church,  184 

Guise,  house  of,  112,  137,  141,  142 

Guthrie,  James,  215 

H 

Hackston,  of  Rathillet,  221,  223 
Haco,  39,  40 

Hamilton,  Claud,  159,  161 
Hamilton,  Duke  of,  231-233,  236, 

253,  256,  260 
Hamilton,  Marquis  of,  194-197 
Hamilton,  of  Bothwellhaugh,  160 
Hamilton,  Patrick,  108 
Henderson,  186,  193,  197 
Henry  the  Minstrel,  59,  103 
Henry  VII.,  100,  102 
Henry  VIII.,  112,  113,  115,  1 16, 

118,  125 
Henryson,  poet,  104 
Heresy,  83,  108,  no,  120,  125, 

127-131 
Hertford,  118 
Hogg,  318-320 

Holyrood,  89,  100,  116,  144,  151, 

155,  267 
Hume,  307 

Huntly,  Earl  of,  93  ;  fourth  earl, 
140,  141  ;  fifth  earl,  147,  149, 
151,  152,  159,  160;  sixth  earl, 
168,  169 

I 

Inchaffary,  Abbot  of,  67 
Inckkeith,  135 
Indulf,  21 

Inverness,  16,  36,  85,  141,  265, 

269,  285,  287 
Iona,  17,  i8;  19 
Irish,  Scots,  I,  8 
Irvine,  53,  219 


334 


INDEX. 


J 

Jacobites,  232,  233,  235,  237,  239, 
249,  251,  253,  254,  259,  260, 
26 1 ,  263  et  seq. ,  280 

Jacobite  songs,  270-273 

James  I.,  82-88 

James  II.,  89-94 

James  III.,  94-100 

James  IV.,  100-102 

James  V.,  105-113 

James  VI.,  163-179 

James  VII.,  226-233,  24° 

James  VIII.,  Pretender,  263-264 

Jedburgh  Cast!e,  50,  82;  Monas- 
tery, 118 

Jeffrey,  Lord,  325 

Jesuits,  168 

Johnston,  of  Warriston,  193,  197, 
203,  214,  215 

K 

Keith,  Sir  Robert,  68 
Kelso,  94,  118 

Kennedy,  Archbishop,  92,  94 
Kenneth  II.,  21 
Kenneth  McAlpin,  10,  20 
Kenneth  McDuff,  22 
Ker,  86 

Kildrummy  Castle,  51 
Killiecrankie,  battle  of,  237-240 
Kilpatrick,  West,  7 
Kincardineshire,  21 
Kinghorn,  41,  46 
Kirkcaldy  of  Grange,  159,  161 
Kirkpatrick,  61 

Knox,  123,  125,  128,  131,  132, 
134,139,  140,  141,  157,  160,  162 

L 

Lamberton,  Bishop  of  St.  Andrews, 
60 

Langside,  battle  of,  159 
Largs,  40 

Laud,  181,  194,  196 
Lauder  Bridge,  98,  99 
Lauderdale,  Earl  of,  217 
Lawson,  James,  162,  166 
Leith,  116,  131,  134,  135,  137, 
147,  202 

Lennox,  Earl  of,  142, 152, 160,  161 


Lennox,  Erne  Stuart,  Duke  of, 

163,  164 
Leslie,  Alexander,  198,  199 
Leslie,  David,  204 
Lesly,  Norman,  122 
Leven,  Earl  of,  233 
Lindsay,  Lord,  170,  171 
Lindsay,  Sir  David,  130,  174 
Linlithgow,  51,  113, i5o,  171,  188 
Livingston,  Sir  Alexander,  89,  91, 

92 

Lochaber,  85,  237 

Lochleven,  156,  159 

Lockhart,  Sir  George,  of  Carn- 

wath,  254 
Long  Parliament,  201,  202,  204, 

205 

Lords  of  the  Congregation,  130, 

131,  132,  133-136 
Lorn,  Black  Knight  of  89 
Lome,  Lord,  130 
Lothian,  9,  22,  26 
Loudon  Hill,  63 
Loudon,  Lord,  190,  193 
Lude  Hill,  237 
Lulach,  23 
Lumphanan,  23 

M 

Macbeth,  22,  23 
Macdonald,  of  Glencoe,  242 
Macduff,  49 

Mackay,  General,  233,  237,  238, 
239 

Mackenzies,  241 
Maclean,  241 
Mac  William,  36 
Magi,  16 

Maid  of  Norway,  41,  43 
Maitland  of  Lethington,  134,  161 
Malcolm  I.,  21 
Malcolm  II.,  22 
Malcolm  III.,  23 
Malcolm  IV.,  34 
Malcolm,  chief,  29 
Mar,  255  ;  headed  a  rising,  263- 
264 

Mar,  earldom,  87 
Mar,  regent,  74,  161 
March,  earls  of,  74,  86,  87 


INDEX. 


335 


Margaret,  Queen  of  Malcolm  III., 
23 

Margaret,  Queen  of  James  IV., 
100,  105 

Marischal,  Earl,  136,  263 

Mary  of  Guise,  Queen  of  James 
V.,  112:  she  became  regent, 
128,  131,  132,  133,  134,  136 

Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  113,  125, 

134.  137-157,  159 
Maxwell,  Lord,  167 
Melrose  Abbey,  34,  118 
Melville,  Andrew,  163,  165,  169, 

177,  178 

Melville  James,  177,  178 
Melville,  James,  122 
Melville,  Lord,  236 
Methven,  62 

Middleton,  215,  216,  217 
Mill,  Walter,  131 
Mitchell,  220 
Monk,  General,  209,  211 
Monmouth,  Duke  of,  223,  227 
Monteith,  Earl  of,  37,  76 
Montgomery,  Sir  James,  236 
Montrose,  264,  269 
Montrose,  Marquis  of,  204 
Moray,  Andrew,  53,  55 
Moray,  Andrew,  regent,  75 
Moray,  Earl  of,  regent,  128,  133, 

137,  140,  143,  144,  149,  157, 

158,  159,  160 
Moray,  Randolph,  67,  74 
Morken,  King  of  Strathclyde,  13, 

14 

Morton,  regent,  145,  147,  149, 
150,  x55,  157,  158,  161,  163, 
164 

N 

Nithsdale,  Earl  of,  263 
Norham,  44,  45 

Norman  Conquest,  23,  26,  29,  31, 
39»  51 

Norsemen,  19,  20,  21,  25,  39 
Northumberland,  21,  22,  23,  34, 
70 

Norway,  39,  43 

O 

Ogilvy,  Walter,  79 


Orkney,  Bishop  of,  220 
Orkney  Isles,  22,  39,  41,  95,  97, 
112 

Ormiston,  Laird  of,  120 
P 

Papal  Court,  70-72 

Parliament,  49,  71,  76,  77,  79, 
81,  83,  85,  86,  91,  108,  112, 
116,  136,  145.  152,  I57>  159, 
164,  166,  168,  173,  178,  181, 
199,  201,  207,  214,  217,  224, 
227,  236,  240,  245,  249,  251- 
260 

Pentland  hills,  219 

Perth,  10,  31,  33,  51,  75,  76,  83, 

87,  131,  132,  133,  141,  164, 

263,  265,  285,  295 
Perth,  Earl  of,  230 
Peterhead,  263 
Picts,  8,  9,  10,  12,  16 
Preston,  battle  of,  267 
Presbyterianism,   163,   168,  198, 

240,  259,  290-306 

Q 

Quakers,  228 

Queensberry,  Duke  of,  251 
R 

Raid  of  Ruthven,  164 
Ramsay,  Allan,  311 
Kederech,  15 

Reformation   in   Scotland,  107, 
108-112, 1 18-122, 125-136,  159 
Renwick,  229 
Riccio,  145,  147,  149 
Ripon,  201 
Roads,  264,  284-287 
Robert  I.,  see  Bruce 
Robert  II.,  77,  78 
Robert  III.,  78,  79,  81,  82 
Robertson,  309 
Roman  invasion,  3-8 
Ross,  36,  39 
Ross,  Bishop  of,  194 
Ross,  Lord,  237 

Rothes,  Earl  of,  159,  193,214,  21 7 
Rothesay,  I  >uke  of,  79,  81 
Roxburgh  Castle,  50,  75,  94 


336 


INDEX. 


Rutherglen,  222 
Ruthven,  Lord,  147,  149 
Ruthven,  Master  of,  173 

S 

Saxons,  9,  23,  24,  26 
Schools,  31,  176,  243-246,  328 
Scone,  10,  21,  24,  28,  34,  37,  48, 

51,62,  74,  77,78,  83,  100,  105, 

209,  263 
Scott,  Sir  Walter,  316,  320 
Seaforth,  Earl  of,  209,  263 
Seton  House,  149,  152 
Seton,  of  Pitmedden,  255 
Sharp,  Archbishop,  216,  220,  221 
Shetland  Isles,  39,  41,  97,  112 
Sigurd,  22 
Sinclair,  Oliver,  113 
Skene,  311 
Solway  Moss,  113 
Somerset,  Duke  of,  125 
Southesk,  Earl  of,  263 
Spain,  100,  144 

Spey,  21,  22,  29,  33,  93,  208,  285 
Stephen,  29,  30 

St.  Andrews,  21,  27,  44,  46,  81, 

io8T  110,  116,  120,  122,  123, 

131,  133,  150,  169 
St.  Columba,  15-19 
St,  Giles'  Church,  162,  183 
St.  Kentigern,  13-15 
St.  Ninian,  12,  13 
Stirling  Bridge,  battle  of,  53-54 
Stirling  Castle,  9,  57,  66,  67,  75, 

92,  99,  134,  155,  160,  239,  268 
Stirlingshire,  8,  10,  II 
Stirling,  town  of,  31,  33,  51,  82, 

141,  167,  194,  215 
Stormont,  Earl  of,  263 
Strathbogie,  23,  93,  141,  169 
Strathern,  21,  22 
Strathspey,  10,  36,  53 
Succession  Act,  224 
Sutherland,  Earl  of,  187,  193 

T 

Tables,  189-192 


Tacitus,  3,  4,  6 

Tay,  3,  4,  6,  9,  10,  24,  51,  141 

285 

Test  Act,  225,  227 
Thomson,  312 
Tithes,  30,  no,  180 
Torture,  219 

Tranquair,  Earl  of,  189,  192 
Tullibardie,  Marquis  of,  263 
Tulloch,  327 
Turgot,  27 

Turner,  Sir  James,  219 
Tweeddale,  Marquis  of,  252 
Tytler,  309 

U 

Union,  Treaty  of,  250,  252-260 
Universities  instituted,  104 

V 

Vane,  Sir  Henry,  202 
Vienne,  John  de,  77 

W 

Wall,  Roman,  7 
Wallace,  52-56,  57,  59 
Western   Isles,  39-41,  95,  II28 
265 

West  Kilpatrick,  7 
Westminster  Assembly  of  Divines, 
202 

Westminster  Confession  of  Faith, 

240 
Whisky,  282 

William,  Prince  of  Orange,  229, 
231,  233,  235,  236,  240-243, 
249,  250 

William  the  Lion,  34-36 

Wilson,  322 

Winton,  Andrew,  103 

Wishart,  Bishop,  60 

Wishart,  George,  120 

Worcester,  battle  of,  209 

Y 

York,  Archbishop  of,  27,  28 
York,  Duke  of,  224,  226 


The  Story  of  the  Nations. 


Messrs.  G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS  take  pleasure  in 
announcing  that  they  have  in  course  of  publication,  in 
co-operation  with  Mr.  T.  Fisher  Unwin,  of  London,  a 
series  of  historical  studies,  intended  to  present  in  a  graphic 
manner  the  stories  of  the  different  nations  that  have 
attained  prominence  in  history. 

In  the  story  form  the  current  of  each  national  life  is 
distinctly  indicated,  and  its  picturesque  and  noteworthy 
periods  and  episodes  are  presented  for  the  reader  in  their 
philosophical  relation  to  each  other  as  well  as  to  universal 
history. 

It  is  the  plan  of  the  writers  of  the  different  volumes  to 
enter  into  the  real  life  of  the  peoples,  and  to  bring  them 
before  the  reader  as  they  actually  lived,  labored,  and 
struggled — as  they  studied  and  wrote,  and  as  they  amused 
themselves.  In  carrying  out  this  plan,  the  myths,  with 
which  the  history  of  all  lands  begins,  will  not  be  over- 
looked, though  these  will  be  carefully  distinguished  from 
the  actual  history,  so  far  as  the  labors  of  the  accepted 
historical  authorities  have  resulted  in  definite  conclusions. 

The  subjects  of  the  different  volumes  have  been  planned 
to  cover  connecting  and,  as  far  as  possible,  consecutive 
epochs  or  periods,  so  that  the  set  when  completed  will 
present  in  a  comprehensive  narrative  the  chief  events  in 
the  great  STORY  OF  the  Nations  ;  but  it  is,  of  course, 
not  always  practicable  to  issue  the  several  volumes  in 
their  chronological  order. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  NATIONS 


The  "Stories"  are  printed  in  good  readable  type,  and  in 
handsome  nmo  form.  They  are  adequately  illustrated  and 
furnished  with  maps  and  indexes.  Price  per  vol.,  cloth,  $1.50  r 
half  morocco,  gilt  top,  $1.75. 

The  following  are  now  ready  : 

GREECE.   Prof.  Jas.  A.  Harrison. 


ROME.    Arthur  Gilman. 
THE  JEWS.  Prof.  James  K.  Hosmer. 
CHALDEA.    Z.  A.  Ragozin. 
GERMANY.    S.  Baring-Gould. 
NORWAY.    Hjalmar  H.  Boyesen. 
SPAIN.    Rev.  E.  E.  and  Susan  Hale. 
HUNGARY.    Prof.  A.  Vambery. 
CARTHAGE.  Prof.  Alfred  J.  Church. 
THE  SARACENS.   Arthur  Gilman. 
THE  MOORS  IN  SPAIN.  Stanley 

Lane-Poole. 
THE  NORMANS.  Sarah  Ornejewett. 
PERSIA.    S.  G.  W  Benjamin. 
ANCIENT  EGYPT.  Prof.  Geo.  Raw 

linson. 

ALEXANDER'S  EMPIRE.    Prof.  J„ 

P.  Mahaffy. 
ASSYRIA.   Z.  A.  Ragozin. 
THE  GOTHS.    Henry  BraJley, 
IRELAND.    Hon.  Emily  Lawless* 
TURKEY.    Stanley  Lane-Poolec 
MEDIA,  BABYLON,  AND  PERSIA. 

Z.  A.  Ragozin. 
MEDIEVAL  FRANCE.    Prof.  Gus- 

tave  Masson. 
HOLLAND.  Prof.  J.  Tnorold  Roger?. 
MEXICO.    Susan  Hale. 
PHOENICIA.    Geo.  Rawlinson. 
THE  HANSA  TOWNS.    Helen  Zim- 

mern. 

EARLY  BRITAIN*    Prof.  Alfred  J6 

Church. 

THE  BARBARY  CORSAIRS.  Stan- 

ley  Lane-Pool. 
RUSSIA.  W.  R.  Morf.12. 
THE  JEWS  UNDER  ROME.  W.  D. 

Morrison. 
SCOTLAND.   John  Mackintosh. 
SWITZERLAND.  R.  Stead  and  Mrs, 

A.  Hug. 

PORTUGAL.    H.  Morse-Stephens. 
THE  BYZANTINE  EMPIRE.  C.  W. 

C.  Oman. 
SICILY.    E.  A.  Freeman. 
THE  TUSCAN  REPUBLICS.  Bella 

Duffy. 

POLAND.    W.  R.  Morfill. 
V»ARTHI A.    Qeo.  Rawlinso". 


JAPAN.   David  Murray. 
THE  CHRISTIAN  RECOVERY  OF 

SPAIN.   H.  E.  Watts. 
AUSTRALASIA.      Greville  Tregar* 
then. 

SOUTHERN  AFRICA.  Geo.  M. 
Theal. 

VENICE.  AletheaWiel. 

THE  CRUSADES.  T.  S.  Archer  and 

C.  L.  Kingsford. 
VEDIC  INDIA.   Z.  A.  Ragozin. 
BOHEMIA.   C.  E.  Maurice. 
CANADA.   J.  G.  Bourinot. 
THE  BALKAN  STATES.  William 

Miller. 

BRITISH  RULE  IN  INDIA.    R.  W. 

Frazer. 

MODERN  FRANCE.  Andre  Le  Bon. 
THE  BUILDING  OF  THE  BRITISH 

EMPIRE.  Alfred  T.  Story.  Two 

vols. 

THE  FRANKS.    Lewis  Sergeant. 
THE   WEST    INDIES.     Amos  K* 
Fiske. 

THE  PEOPLE  OF  ENGLAND  IN 
THE  19TH  CENTURY.  Justir, 
McCarthy,  M.P.    Two  vols. 

AUSTRIA,  THE  HOME  OF  THE 
HAPSBURG  DYNASTY,  FROM 
1282  TO  THE  PRESENT  DAY 
Sidney  Whitman. 

CHINA.    Robt.  K.  Douglass. 

MODERN  SPAIN.  Major  Martin  A 
S.  Hume. 

MODERN  ITALY.    Pietro  Orsi. 

THE  THIRTEEN  COLONIES 
Helen  A.  Smith.   Two  vols. 

Other  volumes  in  preparation  are  : 

THE  UNITED  STATES,  1775  i3q7. 
Prof.  A.  C.  McLaughlin.  Two 
vols. 

BUDDHIST   INDIA.     Prof.   T.  W. 

Rhys-Davids. 
MOHAMMEDAN  INDIA.  Stanlej 

Lane-Poole. 
WALES  AND  CORNWALL,  Owen 

M  Edwards 


Heroes  of  the  Nations. 

EDITED  BY 

EVELYN  ABBOTT,  M.A, 
Fellow  of  Balliol  College,  Oxford. 


A  Series  of  biographical  studies  of  the  lives  and  work 
of  a  number  of  representative  historical  characters  about 
whom  have  gathered  the  great  traditions  of  the  Nations 
to  which  they  belonged^  and  who  have  been  accepted,  in 
many  instances,  as  types  of  the  several  National  ideals^ 
With  the  life  of  each  typical  character  will  be  presented 
a  picture  of  the  National  conditions  surrounding  him 
during  his  career. 

The  narratives  are  the  work  of  writers  who  are  recog- 
nized authorities  on  their  seveial  subjects,  and,  while 
thoroughly  trustworthy  as  history,  will  present  picturesque 
and  dramatic  "  stories  "  of  the  Men  and  of  the  events  con- 
nected with  them. 

To  the  Life  of  each  "  Hero  M  will  be  given  one  duo- 
decimo volume,  handsomely  printed  in  large  type,  pro- 
vided  with  maps  and  adequately  illustrated  according  to 
the  special  requirements  of  the  several  subjects.  The 
volumes  will  be  sold  separately  as  follows : 


Large  12°,  cloth  extra  $l  50 

Half  morocco  uncut  edges,  gilt  top     *       .  I  75 


HEROES  OF  THE  NATIONS. 

A  series  of  biographical  studies  of  the  lives  and  work  of 
certain  representative  historical  characters,  about  whom  have 
gathered  the  great  traditions  of  the  Nations  to  which  they 
belonged,  and  who  have  been  accepted,  in  many  instances,  as 
types  of  the  several  National  ideals. 

The  volumes  will  be  sold  separately  as  follows  :  cloth  extra, 
$1.50  ;  half  leather,  uncut  edges,  gilt  top,  $1.75. 

The  following  are  now  ready  : 


NELSON.    By  W.  Clark  Russell. 
GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS.     By  C. 

R.  L.  Fletcher. 
PERICLES.    By  Evelyn  Abbott. 
THEODORIC    THE    GOTH.  By 

Thomas  Hodgkin. 
SIR   PHILIP  SIDNEY.     By  H.  R. 

Fox-Bourne. 
JULIUS   CiESAR.     By  W.  Warde 

Fowler. 

WYCLIF.    By  Lewis  Sergeant. 
NAPOLEON.    By  W.  O'Connor  Mor- 
ris. 

HENRY  OF  NAVARRE.  By  P.  F. 
Willert. 

CICERO.  By  J.  L.  Strachan-David- 
son. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN.  By  Noah 
Brooks. 

PRINCE  HENRY  (OF  PORTUGAL) 
THE  NAVIGATOR.  By  C.  R. 
Beazley. 

JULIAN  THE  PHILOSOPHER.  By 
Alice  Gardner. 

LOUIS  XIV.    By  Arthur  Hassall. 

CHARLES  XII.    By  R.  Nisbet  Bain. 

LORENZO  DE'  MEDICI.  By  Ed- 
ward Armstrong. 

JEANNE  D'ARC.   By  Mrs.  Oliphant. 

CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS.  By 
Washington  Irving. 


ROBERT  THE  BRUCE.  By  Sir 
Herbert  Maxwell. 

HANNIBAL.  By  W.  O'Connor  Mor- 
ris. 

ULYSSES  S.  GRANT.  By  William 
Conant  Church. 

ROBERT  E.  LEE.  By  Henry  Alex- 
ander White. 

THE  CID  CAMPEADOR.  By  H. 
Butler  Clarke. 

SALADIN.     By  Stanley  Lane-Poole. 

BISMARCK.    By  J.  W.  Headlam. 

ALEXANDER  THE  GREAT.  By 
Benjamin  I.  Wheeler. 

CHARLEMAGNE.  By  H.  W.  C. 
Davis. 

OLIVER  CROMWELL.  By  Charles 
Firth. 

RICHELIEU.    By  James  B.  Perkins. 
DANIEL  O'CONNELL.     By  Robert 
Dunlop. 

SAINT  LOUIS  (Louis  IX.  of  France). 

By  Frederick  Perry. 
LORD    CHATHAM.      By  Walford 

Davis  Green. 
OWEN  GLYNDWR.    By  Arthur  G. 

Bradley. 

HENRY  V.  By  Charles  L.  Kings- 
ford. 

EDWARD  I.    By  Edward  Jenks. 


Other  volumes  in  preparation  are : 


MOLTKE.  By  Spencer  Wilkinson. 
JUDAS    MACCABEUS.     By  Israel 

Abrahams. 
SOBIESKI.    By  F.  A.  Pollard. 
ALFRED   THE  TRUTHTELLER. 

By  Frederick  Perry. 
FREDERICK  II.    By  A.  L.  Smith. 


By   C.   W.  C. 


MARLBOROUGH. 
Oman. 

RICHARD  THE  LION-HEARTED. 

By  T.  A.  Archer. 
WILLIAM  THE  SILENT.  By  Ruth 

Putnam. 

JUSTINIAN.    By  Edward  Jenks. 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS,  Publishers,  New  York  and  London. 


Date  Due 

FEB  2d  l\ 

ffl8  

Hr-i  g.  u 

P  

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